APT and VITA psychotherapy was carried out in accordance with treatment manuals. In addition to weekly individual sessions the inpatient program at both groups contained two 75 min group sessions each week. In addition, VITA had shorter group meetings each morning (15 minutes). Patients in both treatments participated in two physical exercise sessions per week, weekly psycho-educational lectures and art-therapy groups, and both groups finish each week with end of the week status groups. On average, patients in both treatments received seven sessions of therapeutic activity each week. All treatment components, with the exception of the physical exercises, adhered to the APT or VITA treatments, and thus the two intensive treatments were similar in dose but different in content. Medication was managed by psychiatrists, aiming to optimize the psychotropic medication regime, typically by reducing medication use.

TAU through public services locally, either outpatient treatment from a psychologist/psychiatrist and/or treatment/support from their local general practitioner.

APT and VITA psychotherapy was carried out in accordance with treatment manuals. In addition to weekly individual sessions the inpatient program at both groups contained two 75 min group sessions each week. In addition, VITA had shorter group meetings each morning (15 minutes). Patients in both treatments participated in two physical exercise sessions per week, weekly psycho-educational lectures and art-therapy groups, and both groups finish each week with end of the week status groups. On average, patients in both treatments received seven sessions of therapeutic activity each week. All treatment components, with the exception of the physical exercises, adhered to the APT or VITA treatments, and thus the two intensive treatments were similar in dose but different in content. Medication was managed by psychiatrists, aiming to optimize the psychotropic medication regime, typically by reducing medication use.

Intensive psychotherapy (i.e., greater number of treatment sessions per time unit)

Beck depression inventory II (BDI-II) Self-report instrument for assessing severity of depression. 21 items are scored on Likert scale from 0 to 4 (range 0-63). Scores between 14 and 19 indicate mild depression, 20 to 28 indicate moderate depression, and above 29 indicate major depression.