Abstract
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a time-limited treatment described in a manual and tested in numerous clinical trials, with and without medication. Four recent clinical trials are reviewed in situations where medication as a first-line treatment for depression was not feasible (pregnancy, post partum, adolescence and in a developing country). The results show the efficacy of 12-16 wk of IPT compared to treatment as usual or no treatment in reducing depressive symptoms. The therapists providing the treatment included psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers as well as non-mental-health workers. We do not know if these patients might have done even better with medication, but each study showed a significant remission of symptoms of patients in IPT compared to controls. The use of efficacious, time-limited psychotherapy, which can be administered by non-medical personnel can be economical. An obstacle to providing evidence-based psychotherapies is the paucity of practitioners trained in them. Until the gap between training in psychotherapy and the research evidence in psychotherapy is bridged in training programmes, it will be difficult to provide patients with these treatments.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
