Introduction
The interpersonal therapy model is a psychotherapy approach that is evidence-based and focuses on treating mood disorders. The model concentrates on the current problem that a patient is experiencing rather than other issues such as developmental or childhood. It uses therapists who are supportive, active, optimistic, and with multiple options for change. The key aim of this model is to enable the patients to improve their social and interpersonal functioning, which is helpful in reducing distress. The model perceives depression as a type of medical disease, giving the patient the role of the sick individual to reduce the feeling of guilt and blame. It instills a sense of hope that depression can be cured, motivating the patient to undergo therapy to facilitate quick recovery.
Effectiveness of IPT
Childhood abuse has a significant effect on promoting depression in people. Duberstein et al. (2018) investigated the effectiveness of interpersonal therapy in reducing depression among women who have experienced a history of childhood abuse. The study utilized a randomized control trial where the patients were allowed to select the type of intervention they preferred. The sample involved the selection of individuals who have experienced sexual abuse and are currently experiencing significant depression symptoms before 18 years of age (Duberstein et al., 2018). A total of 162 women were included in the randomized trial, where 11% were Hispanic, 7% multi-colored, 40% black, and 53% white (Duberstein et al., 2018). The participants were subjected to 16 psychotherapy sessions over 18 months (Duberstein et al., 2018). The groups were supervised 10 hours a month (Duberstein et al., 2018). The participants’ outcomes were measured on psychological symptoms and major depression, social health outcomes, early therapeutic alliance, and adherence to medication.
The study shows that IPT led to a significant decrease in post-traumatic stress symptoms among the patients who persevered for a year after the end of treatment. The women that received IPT portrayed positive outcomes in their social health at the end of the intervention illustrating the improvement in their relationship with their partners, reduced loneliness, and improved social function (Duberstein et al., 2018). The outcome of the intervention is lasting as individuals portrayed positive social function a year after IPT treatment
Depression is among the major causes of morbidity among youths. Without suitable intervention measures, it leads to academic underperformance, social impairment, and chronic diseases affecting adolescents’ lives. Rose-Clarke et al. (2020) investigated the effect of interpersonal therapy on adolescents who live in rural areas in Nepal. Most of the youth’s mental health in low- and middle-income countries have been neglected by the global health program. The purpose of this study was to enable the youths in rural Nepal to adapt to interpersonal therapy by using a sustainable platform (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). The youths in Nepal have experienced high depression since the country has a historical trauma, including civil war and major earthquakes. The researchers utilized a sample of 126 participants involving adolescents with elevated depression scores aged 13 and 18. The group was selected from a mountainous village called Sindhupalchowk, where agriculture is the primary source of income (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). Focus groups were designed to ensure that the adolescents extensively interact with the IPT. The group was divided based on gender to ensure that males and females were able to express their views and issues openly. The groups were distributed with 6 to 10 members guided by goals that enabled the adolescents to express their opinions clearly (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). Cultural mediators were included in the research to ensure that adolescents understand the concept of depression clearly.
The researchers optimized the method of treatment delivery, emphasizing the development and cultural features of depression. The main adaptation from this research includes embracing the therapy in secondary schools and using their nurses to deliver the treatment, promoting parental engagement, which majorly focuses on enhancing their support during the pre-group session and incorporating local dialect in the mental illness terms for easy understanding (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). The program majored in making the intervention centered on the program that alleviates stigma, thereby strengthening the relationship among group members (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). The findings of this study show that interpersonal therapy helps reduce major symptoms of depression and can be applied in schools in Nepal through the education system.
There is a significant number of prisoners in the United States of America. These individuals experience high levels of mental illnesses, leading to various cases of suicide, mental disability, and other serious consequences. This makes the prisoners stop utilizing correctional programs, unable to protect themselves, have impaired social relations, are physically victimized, and are rejected by other prisoners because of violent acts. Johnson et al. (2019) investigated the effectiveness of using IPT intervention in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) among incarcerated individuals in the United States of America using a randomized control design by both psychosocial and pharmacological (Johnson et al., 2019). The participants were recruited from two facilities in the northeastern states USA. Individuals who were sentenced were the ones selected with the same MDD from both prisons. The sample consisted of 181 males and 64 females subjected to randomization, where groups were designed to provide treatment as usual (TAU) with IPT and TAU alone. The participants’ age ranged between 20 and 69, with an average age of 39 (Johnson et al., 2019). The percentage composition was 19% Hispanic and 20% black American (Johnson et al., 2019). The participants were subjected to two treatments which were then assessed after 4.2 months, followed by an assessment three months after the end of the training sessions.
The measured outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in-prison functioning, depressive symptoms, remission from MDD, suicide, and in-prison functioning. This research shows that IPT is practical and cost-effective (Johnson et al., 2019). The intervention portrays a positive result in reducing depressive symptoms among prisoners experiencing high MDD. It is feasible to be used in prisons as most incarcerated individuals usually want an opportunity to analyze their interpersonal conflicts (Johnson et al., 2019). Furthermore, most of the patients in prisons still experience MDD after using other interventions hence the need for IPT.
Limitations/ Cultural Implications
The study limitation in the above research is determined by various factors. Duberstein et al. (2018) study limitation is based on the sample selected to be included in the research study. The study recruited approximately 40% of the participants from the community setting. This generalizes men and women who are not active seekers of treatment challenging. Additionally, the intervention did not utilize constant dosage. The data on therapist fidelity was collected and analyzed but was not employed, but the research finding suggested that it was acceptable. Rose-Clarke et al. (2020) study limitation is based on formative research. This is because adaptation to the selected area cannot be applied to other regions. This is because the researchers employed cultural adaptation in the intervention where local terms were included to promote comprehension of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the number of schools available surpasses health facilities making it difficult to access mental health care (Rose-Clarke et al., 2020). The framework also creates a significant challenge because of its difficulty in implementation.
Johnson et al. (2019) main limitation is the design used, making it challenging to have training cases for the counselors. The power of the outcome was reduced because of the discipline issues which affected suicide ideation (Johnson et al., 2019). The project also faced a significant challenge in the follow-up, as the researchers could not conduct a follow-up three months after completing the intervention (Johnson et al., 2019). Moreover, the study did not include post-incarceration effects; hence unable to track changes in recidivism and post-release functioning.
Conclusion and Implication
The findings from the researchers show that interpersonal therapy is an effective method in intervening in treating mood disorders. I have confidence in this model because it can treat several mood disorders with applications in challenging areas such as remote locations and prisons. Furthermore, the IPT model provides positive results that are long-term compared to other types of interventions. The model is cost-effective and is also helpful as it is applied to various groups such as the youths, middle-aged individuals, and the old. The method can help individuals that are experiencing MDD.
References
Duberstein, P., Ward, E., Chaudron, L., He, H., Toth, S., & Wang, W. et al. (2018). Effectiveness of interpersonal psychotherapy-trauma for depressed women with childhood abuse histories. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86(10), 868-878. Web.
Johnson, J., Stout, R., Miller, T., Zlotnick, C., Cerbo, L., & Andrade, J. et al. (2019). Randomized cost-effectiveness trial of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for prisoners with major depression. Journal Of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(4), 392-406. Web.
Rose-Clarke, K., Pradhan, I., Shrestha, P., B.K., P., Magar, J., & Luitel, N. et al. (2020). Culturally and developmentally adapting group interpersonal therapy for adolescents with depression in rural Nepal. BMC Psychology, 8(83), 1-13. Web.