Psych · psychotherapy
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
Also known as IPT · Interpersonal therapy · Klerman Weissman IPT · IPT-A · IPT-M · IPSRT · Interpersonal counselling · IPC
Exam-exhaustive fellowship reference on interpersonal psychotherapy — medical model, sick role, four problem areas, phase structure, communication analysis, adaptations (IPT-A, perinatal, IPT-M, IPSRT, PTSD), landmark trials and meta-analyses, combined care with antidepressants, and CASC/MEQ technique. FRANZCP-primary, globally tagged.
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Red flags
- Labelling unstructured supportive counselling as IPT without inventory, focus, time limit, or termination structure
- Assigning multiple unprioritised foci so middle-phase work never becomes specific
- Pushing communication experiments with an abusive partner without domestic violence risk assessment
- Using IPT alone for acute mania, psychotic depression requiring medical priority, or high immediate suicide risk needing containment
- Dropping antidepressants solely because IPT has started, or claiming IPT forbids medication
- Avoiding termination work and drifting into open-ended therapy without review
Meet the patient
A 41-year-old teacher developed her first depressive episode three months after her marriage ended. She is irritable with her two teenagers, has stopped seeing her friends, and tells you the separation was "silly to still be upset about". Her PHQ-9 is 16. She wants "talking therapy, not tablets".[7][4]
The registrar heard "not tablets" and booked open-ended supportive counselling. The examiner wants the three things that distinguish real IPT from that referral: a time limit, an interpersonal inventory, and one focus held firm.[7][2]
References14ShowHide
- [1]Klerman GL, DiMascio A, Weissman M, Prusoff B, Paykel ES Treatment of depression by drugs and psychotherapy Am J Psychiatry, 1974.PMID 4587807
- [2]Elkin I, Shea MT, Watkins JT, et al. National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program. General effectiveness of treatments Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1989.PMID 2684085
- [3]Frank E, Kupfer DJ, Perel JM, et al. Three-year outcomes for maintenance therapies in recurrent depression Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1990.PMID 2244793
- [4]Cuijpers P, Geraedts AS, van Oppen P, et al. Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression: a meta-analysis Am J Psychiatry, 2011.PMID 21362740
- [5]Cuijpers P, Donker T, Weissman MM, Ravitz P, Cristea IA Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Mental Health Problems: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Am J Psychiatry, 2016.PMID 27032627
- [6]de Mello MF, de Jesus Mari J, Bacaltchuk J, Verdeli H, Neugebauer R A systematic review of research findings on the efficacy of interpersonal therapy for depressive disorders Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2005.PMID 15812600
- [7]Markowitz JC, Weissman MM Interpersonal psychotherapy: principles and applications World Psychiatry, 2004.PMID 16633477
- [8]Mufson L, Weissman MM, Moreau D, Garfinkel R Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1999.PMID 10359475
- [9]Mufson L, Dorta KP, Wickramaratne P, et al. A randomized effectiveness trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2004.PMID 15184237
- [10]O'Hara MW, Stuart S, Gorman LL, Wenzel A Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2000.PMID 11074869
- [11]Spinelli MG, Endicott J Controlled clinical trial of interpersonal psychotherapy versus parenting education program for depressed pregnant women Am J Psychiatry, 2003.PMID 12611838
- [12]Frank E, Kupfer DJ, Thase ME, et al. Two-year outcomes for interpersonal and social rhythm therapy in individuals with bipolar I disorder Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005.PMID 16143731
- [13]Markowitz JC, Petkova E, Neria Y, et al. Is Exposure Necessary? A Randomized Clinical Trial of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for PTSD Am J Psychiatry, 2015.PMID 25677355
- [14]Frank E, Swartz HA, Kupfer DJ Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: managing the chaos of bipolar disorder Biol Psychiatry, 2000.PMID 11018230