title: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Mental Health Problems: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has been developed for the treatment of depression but has been examined for several other mental disorders. A comprehensive meta-analysis of all randomized trials examining the effects of IPT for all mental health problems was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches in PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and Cochrane were conducted to identify all trials examining IPT for any mental health problem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety studies with 11,434 participants were included. IPT for acute-phase depression had moderate-to-large effects compared with control groups (g=0.60; 95% CI=0.45-0.75). No significant difference was found with other therapies (differential g=0.06) and pharmacotherapy (g=-0.13). Combined treatment was more effective than IPT alone (g=0.24). IPT in subthreshold depression significantly prevented the onset of major depression, and maintenance IPT significantly reduced relapse. IPT had significant effects on eating disorders, but the effects are probably slightly smaller than those of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the acute phase of treatment. In anxiety disorders, IPT had large effects compared with control groups, and there is no evidence that IPT was less effective than CBT. There was risk of bias as defined by the Cochrane Collaboration in the majority of studies. There was little indication that the presence of bias influenced outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IPT is effective in the acute treatment of depression and may be effective in the prevention of new depressive disorders and in preventing relapse. IPT may also be effective in the treatment of eating disorders and anxiety disorders and has shown promising effects in some other mental health disorders.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Mailman School of Public Health, New York; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada; the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; and the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuijpers
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Mailman School of Public Health, New York; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada; the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; and the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Donker
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Mailman School of Public Health, New York; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada; the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; and the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Myrna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Mailman School of Public Health, New York; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada; the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; and the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravitz
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Mailman School of Public Health, New York; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada; the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; and the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Ioana A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Cristea
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015982:Bias; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents