Interpersonal Psychotherapy
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What is it?
Interpersonal psychotherapy helps a depressed person solve problems with other people. Such problems might involve disputes with others, feeling isolated, problems in changing roles, or long-term grief following the loss of a loved one.
How does it work?
Sometimes problems with other people can lead to depression. Solving these problems will then help recovery. However, even if the depression is caused by something else, solving problems involving other people may still help.
Is it effective?
A number of studies show that interpersonal psychotherapy helps people with mild or moderate depression. It works as well as antidepressant drugs. However, interpersonal psychotherapy has not received as much research as some other treatments like antidepressants or cognitive behaviour therapy. For this reason, we have not rated it as high as these treatments.
Are there any disadvantages?
Interpersonal psychotherapy will involve seeing a therapist weekly for several months. It can be expensive, although in Australia Medicare now provides rebates for visits to clinical psychologists (see below).
Where do you get it?
Interpersonal psychotherapy is not widely available. It generally needs a specially trained clinical psychologist or counsellor. Most GPs do not have the time or the training to provide this treatment. In Australia, Medicare now provides rebates for visits to clinical psychologists, under the recent Better Access to Mental Health Care scheme. Interpersonal therapy may also be covered by some private health insurance funds and is sometimes available from therapists employed in hospitals or government-funded clinics.
Recommendation
Interpersonal psychotherapy is a useful treatment, although not easy to get.
Key references
Churchill R, Hunot V, Corney R, Knapp M, McGuire H, Tylee A, Wessely S. A systematic review of controlled trials of the effectiveness of brief psychological treatments for depression. Health Technology Assessment 2001; 5: No. 35.