ABSTRACT
Rationale for Interpersonal Psychotherapy .................................................... 512 Adaptation of IPT for Use with Depressed Adolescents ................................ 513 Determining Suitability of IPT-A .................................................................... 515 Course of Treatment ......................................................................................... 515 Initial Phase ..................................................................................................... 516
Confi rm the Depression Diagnosis and Suitability of IPT-A..................... 516 Provide Psychoeducation about Depression .............................................. 516 Explain the Theory and Goals of IPT-A ..................................................... 517 Conduct the Interpersonal Inventory ......................................................... 517 Identify the Interpersonal Problem Area(s) ............................................... 517
Grief Due to Death ................................................................................... 518 Interpersonal Role Disputes ................................................................... 518 Interpersonal Role Transitions ............................................................... 518 Interpersonal Defi cits .............................................................................. 519
Make the Treatment Contract ..................................................................... 519 Middle Phase .................................................................................................... 520
General Techniques ..................................................................................... 520 Encouragement of Affect and Linkage with
Interpersonal Events ........................................................................... 520 Communication Analysis ....................................................................... 520 Decision Analysis .................................................................................... 521 Role-Playing ............................................................................................. 521
Problem Area Specifi c Techniques ............................................................. 522 Grief Due to Death ................................................................................... 522 Interpersonal Role Disputes ................................................................... 522 Interpersonal Role Transitions ............................................................... 522 Interpersonal Defi cits .............................................................................. 523
Termination Phase ........................................................................................... 523 Empirical Support for IPT-A ........................................................................... 524 IPT-A Delivered as Individual Psychotherapy ............................................... 524 IPT-A Delivered as Group Psychotherapy ...................................................... 525 Future Directions ............................................................................................. 526 References ........................................................................................................ 526
Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A; Mufson, Dorta, Moreau, & Weissman, 2004) is a time-limited psychotherapeutic intervention adapted from interpersonal psychotherapy for adults (IPT; Klerman, Weissman, Rounsaville, & Chevron, 1984; Weissman, Markowitz, & Klerman, 2000). There is a large body of research demonstrating the effi cacy of IPT for depressed adults (Weissman et al., 2000). IPT is based on the principle that, regardless of the underlying cause of the depression, the disorder occurs within an interpersonal context. It assumes that depression can negatively impact interpersonal relationships, and problematic relationships and social interactions can have negative effects on mood. The goal of IPT is to decrease depressive symptoms by focusing on current interpersonal diffi culties and helping the individual improve his or her relationships and interpersonal interactions.
