Interpersonal psychotherapy

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a time-limited psychotherapy that was developed in the 1970s and 80s as an outpatient treatment for adults who were diagnosed with moderate or severe non-delusional clinical depression.^[1] It has its roots in the interpersonal theory of psychiatry of Harry Stack Sullivan. Over the last 30 years, a number of empirical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of IPT in the treatment of depression.^[2] Although originally developed as an individual therapy for adults, IPT has been modified for use with adolescents and older adults, bipolar disorder, bulimia, post-partum depression and couples counseling;^[3] and although IPT has its roots in psychodynamic theory, it takes its cues from contemporary cognitive behavioral approaches both in that it is time-limited and also in its use of homework, structured interviews and assessment tools.^[4]

Additional recommended knowledge

References

^ Swartz, H. (1999). Interpersonal therapy. In M. Hersen and A. S. Bellack (Eds). Handbook of Comparative Interventions for Adult Disorders, 2nd ed. (pp. 139 – 159). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
^ Joiner, T. E., Brown, J. S., & Kistner, J. (2006). The interpersonal, cognitive, and social nature of depression. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
^ Weissman, M. M. & Markowitz, J. C. (1998). An Overview of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. In J. Markowitz, Interpersonal Psychotherapy (pp. 1 – 33).Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Press.
^ Weissman, M. M, Markowitz, J. C., & Klerman, G. L. (2007). Clinician's quick guide to interpersonal psychotherapy. New York: Oxford University Press.