Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Abstract

<P>Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is underused. This rather stark statement rests on the following facts: there is an extensive body of empirical literature supporting IPT; IPT has wide applicability for a variety of psychiatric disorders and psychological problems; and IPT is relatively easy to deliver and can be provided effectively even by clinicians without extensive psychotherapy training. Despite these facts, IPT has not been incorporated widely into psychology and psychiatry training programs, and is not often used in clinical settings in the United States.</P> <H4>ABOUT THE GUEST EDITOR</H4> <P>Scott Stuart, MD, is professor of psychiatry and psychology, University of Iowa, and co-director, Iowa Depression and Clinical Research Center (IDCRC), Iowa City, IA. The IDCRC is recognized internationally as a leading site for research in the areas interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and perinatal psychiatry, and has been a site for training and supervising clinicians in IPT for more than a decade.</P> <P>Dr. Stuart received his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Kansas and completed his medical internship and psychiatric residency at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. He subsequently completed a fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology and a master’s degree in preventive medicine at the University of Iowa. He has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa since 1993.</P> <P>Dr. Stuart’s primary research interests are in the areas of psychotherapy outcome and perinatal psychiatry. He has written extensively in both areas, including an IPT textbook for clinicians titled <cite>Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Clinician’s Guide</cite>, which he co-authored with Dr. Michael Robertson. His current projects include the development of a standardized training program in IPT with clinical videos and CD-ROM-based educational materials, scheduled for production in the fall of 2007. He is a founding member of the International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapists and serves as its president.</P>