A group adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents.
This paper presents an overview of the adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A) to be delivered in a group format (IPT-AG) for the treatment of depressed, nonbipolar outpatient adolescents. The model has been modified to address the challenges of working with several adolescents in a group context. It takes advantage of the group as a laboratory environment for experimenting with new ways of communicating and interacting with others. The IPT-AG manual, described in this paper, provides guidelines for working with multiple interpersonal issues and keeping the group discussion relevant to the group as a whole. These adaptations are discussed in the context of the interpersonal framework with respect to each phase of treatment. Preliminary data about the feasibility and acceptability of conducting IPT-AG are discussed.
Mufson
Laura
L
Department of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA. MufsonL@childpsych.columbia.edu
Gallagher
Trish
T
Dorta
Kristen Pollack
KP
Young
Jami F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group