Implementing Interpersonal Psychotherapy in a Psychiatry Residency Training Program

Abstract

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for depression is a brief, well researched treatment for acute major depression. This article describes the implementation of IPT as an evidence-based treatment for depression in a psychiatry residency program. The authors tracked the implementation process over 5 years as interpersonal psychotherapy was systematically incorporated into residency training. The authors outline key ingredients for and challenges to effecting change. Implementation of interpersonal psychotherapy in psychiatry residency training was a cornerstone for learning evidence-based treatment approaches as well as for conveying core psychotherapy concepts.