Interpersonal Therapy
Proponents of interpersonal therapy (IPT) suggest that experiences in interpersonal relationships may play a role both in the onset and maintenance of depression. IPT is a brief, standardized (15–20 sessions) treatment approach that emphasizes the relationships between mood and experiences in the person's interpersonal relationships.
IPT intervention consists of identifying and ameliorating difficulties in interpersonal functioning associated with the patient's current depression. The therapist helps the patient recognize associations between mood and interpersonal experiences in one of four potential problem areas:
- unresolved grief
- interpersonal disputes
- difficult role transitions
- interpersonal deficits (e.g., social isolation or inadequate social skills)
Psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy is similar to IPT but makes more use of the relationship between therapist and client in the therapeutic work. Both IPT and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy may be as effective as either tricyclic antidepressant medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder.
