2. INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
ü Time-limited therapy (12-20 sessions)
ü Especially designed for depression
ü ‘here-and-now’ framework
Focus on current interpersonal issues
ü Medical model
Depression as treatable
4. DUAL GOAL OF IPT
Symptom
remission
Solve
interpersonal
problems
related to
depression
IPT
5. THEORETICAL BASIS
ü Interpersonal theory
ü Adolf Meyer & Harry Stack Sullivan
ü Focus on the importance of interpersonal
relationships in determining behavior
ü Psychological illness develops out of interpersonal
disruptions
ü Help patients to increase their
understanding of the interpersonal events
that triggered depression
6. THEORETICAL BASIS
ü Attachment theory
ü People have the fundamental need to form strong
bonds with others.
ü When these bonds are disrupted, the individual will
experience emotional distress
ü IPT targets interpersonal relationships that may affect
patient’s attachment experiences
9. FOUR PROBLEM AREAS
Grief
• Death of a
loved one
• Prolonged
grief
Interpersonal
disputes
• Two parties or
more have
nonreciprocal
expectations
about the
terms for
behavior within
relationship
Role
transitions
• Adjustment to
a life change
that requires
an alteration of
behavior from
old role to new
role
Interpersonal
deficits
• Patients who
experience:
• Feelings of
loneliness
• Paucity of
relationships
• Underdevelope
d social and
communication
skills
11. ü Work on indentified problem areas
ü Further clarification
ü Implement strategies
Intermediate
phase
12. GRIEF DUE TO DEATH
ü Goal
ü Facilitate resolution of grieving process
13. GRIEF DUE TO DEATH
ü Strategies
ü Review +/- aspects of relationship with deceased
ü Encourage expression of emotions
ü Taught skills for communicating loss
ü Apply skills to other significant relationships
ü Establish new or furthering existing relationships
15. ROLE DISPUTES
ü Goals & Strategies
ü In renegotiation and impasse stage
ü Help to resolve conflict
• Identification of communication patterns
• Teaching new communication skills
• Generating solutions to dispute
ü Dissolution stage
ü Focus on mourning of loss
• Help patient understand situation
• Feel at ease to form new
relationships
16. ROLE TRANSITION
ü Goal
ü Help patients relinquish old roles
ü Accept new roles
ü Develop a sense of mastery in the new role
ü Strategies
ü Explore meanings, feelings and expectations regarding
transition
ü Learn new interpersonal skills
ü Develop social support around transition
17. INTERPERSONAL DEFICITS
ü Goal
ü Improve interpersonal relationships
ü Strategies
ü Explore repetitive interpersonal
problems
ü Teach skills for building and
maintaining relationships
ü Reinforce positive communication
patterns
18. ü Reviews the patient’s course of
depressive symptoms and how they have
changed
ü Review changes in interpersonal
functioning
ü Link these changes to the improvement in
the patient’s mood
ü Highlight skills and strategies that were
particularly useful
ü Discuss end of treatment
ü Address possibility that depression might
recur
ü Warn symptoms
ü Teach strategies
Termination
phase
20. ü Targeted at
ü Providing patients with the
skills to change interpersonal
relationship
ü Improving their mood
ü Different combinations of
techniques used according to
their problem area(s)
21. THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE
ü Essential in predicting therapeutic
change
ü Provide information about the
patient
ü Provide a safe environment to bring
about therapeutic change
ü Without therapeutic alliance, other
techniques may become ineffective
22. ENCOURAGEMENT OF AFFECT &
CONNECTION WITH
INTERPERSONAL EVENT
ü Help patients become aware of,
acknowledge and accept emotions about
relationships
ü Understand impact of affect on
relationships
ü Learn to negotiate interpersonal
experiences more effectively
ü Observe that –ve interpersonal events
are associated with decline in mood and
+ve changes are associated with
improvement in mood
Content and Process Affect
ü Content Affect: Affect reported
by patient
ü Process Affect: Affect
demonstrated by patient
ü Observing for INCONGRUITY
24. DECISION ANALYSIS
ü Processes involved
ü Identify a problematic
interpersonal situation
ü Formulate a goal
ü Generate potential solution
ü Evaluate and choose a
strategy
ü Consider the different
actions one can take when
faced with interpersonal
difficulties
25. ROLE PLAYING
ü Discuss, model and practice the
skills they have gained through
therapy
ü More comfortable and
competent in transferring the skills
to real life situations
ü Allow therapist to observe and
correct skills deficits that arises
ü Not suitable for all patients
27. TREATMENT FOR
MAJOR DEPRESSION
Acute
Treatment
ü NIMH Treatment of Depression
Collaborative Research Program (Elkin et
al., 1989)
ü Treatment groups
• Imipramine, IPT, CBT, Placebo
ü Reduction in depressive symptoms &
improved functioning
ü Severely depressed patients
• IPT comparable to IMI and superior to
placebo
ü Follow-up
• No significant differences in recovery
(Shea et al., 1992)
28. Maintenance
Treatment
ü Maintenance Treatment
• First tested with 150 acutely
depressed female outpatients
(Klerman et al. 1974)
• IPT improved social functioning
ü Meta-analysis (Mello et al., 2005)
• 13 studies
• IPT superior to placebo
• similar to medication
• more efficacious than CBT
TREATMENT FOR
MAJOR DEPRESSION
29. TREATMENT FOR
MAJOR
DEPRESSION
Different population
Adolescent patients:
Improvement in
ü depressive symptoms
ü functioning with friends
ü problem-solving skills
ü overall social functioning
(Mufson et al., 1999)
ü Effective in school-
based clinic
30. TREATMENT FOR
MAJOR
DEPRESSION
Different population
Geriatric patients
ü combined treatment with
nortriptyline & IPT was
superior to IPT/medication
alone (Reynolds et al., 1999)
ü IPT alone less effective for
older patients
Adolescent patients:
Improvement in
ü depressive symptoms
ü functioning with friends
ü problem-solving skills
ü overall social functioning
(Mufson et al., 1999)
ü Effective in school-
based clinic
31. IPT AS A
TREATMENT
For Other Psychiatric Illnesses
ü Bipolar Disorder
IPSRT was found superior to
the comparison condition in
delaying recurrence of
depressive and manic episodes
for acutely ill bipolar patients
(Frank et al., 2005)
32. IPT AS A
TREATMENT
For Other Psychiatric Illnesses
ü Bulimia Nervosa
18 weeks of IPT, CBT or a
behavior therapy control
IPT has benefits comparable to
those of CBT and superior to those
of the control condition
(Agras et al. 2000)
33. IPT AS A
TREATMENT
For Other Psychiatric Illnesses
ü Substance Dependence
A study of 42 subjects with
cocaine abuse who were
attempting to achieve abstinence
IPT was ineffective than a
behavioral control therapy
(Carroll et al. 1991)
35. AN APPLICATION OF
INTERPERSONAL
PSYCHOTHERAPY
ü Adolescent Bully-victims
ü Rising bullying cases in schools
ü Increased risk of depression and
suicidal ideation among bully
victims (Chambless, 2010)
ü IPT as an effective in treating
adolescent patients and depression
36. AN APPLICATION OF
INTERPERSONAL
PSYCHOTHERAPY
A Case of an Adolescent Bully-Victim
Initial Intermediate Termination
ü Assigning of “sick role”
Inform adolescent of depression
ü Restrictive Families
Adolescent boys are more likely to become
victims
ü Bully-victims have less teacher and peer
support
ü Focus on present circumstances
Free them of self-criticism
37. A Case of an Adolescent Bully-Victim
Initial Intermediate Termination
AN APPLICATION OF
INTERPERSONAL
PSYCHOTHERAPY
ü Disputes with parents
• That leads to maladaptive communication
patterns
ü Goals: Self-assertion and communication
• Expressions of feelings and problems
ü Role-playing
• Anticipate problems and rehearse
expression of emotions in disputes
Problem Area 1:
Interpersonal
Dispute
38. A Case of an Adolescent Bully-Victim
Initial Intermediate Termination
AN APPLICATION OF
INTERPERSONAL
PSYCHOTHERAPY
ü Past bully incidents
• negative preconceptions of people
ü Goal: reduce social isolation
• Explore the distorted feelings toward
people
• New skills for building and maintaining
relationships
ü Role-playing
• Practice the new skills
Problem Area 2:
Interpersonal
Deficits
39. AN APPLICATION OF
INTERPERSONAL
PSYCHOTHERAPY
A Case of an Adolescent Bully-Victim
Initial Intermediate Termination
ü Help adolescent recognize
gains in self-assertion
ü Calling into attention patient’s
independent successes
ü Discuss potential recurrent
symptoms and how to handle
them