Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression: A Brief, Focused, Specific Strategy

by Gerald L. Klerman, Myrna M. Weissman, Bruce J. Rounsaville

Reflecting the new and exciting trends in psychotherapy as well as responsive to the current emphasis on efficient, substantial therapeutic results, this book presents a model of interpersonal, short_term psychotherapy for clinically depressed patients. Gerald L. Klerman, whose research on depression has made him world renowned, and Myrna M. Weissman, who has written, with Eugene Paykel, an important book on women and depression, have worked with their colleagues to present the empirical basis for their new treatment method.
This theory builds on the heritage of Harry Stack Sullivan and John Bowlby and their focus on interpersonal issues and attachment on depression. Research shows that four categories of interpersonal difficulties grief, interpersonal disputes, role transitions. and interpersonal deficits. In this approach, the therapist focuses on the patient's primary problems and evaluates the need for medication in addition to interpersonal therapy. Acknowledging that these four areas are never mutually exclusive, the authors present a clear treatment strategy for each, augmenting their presentation with a discussion of common obstacles that arise during treatment.
As an overview, the book compares interpersonal psychotherapy with other psychotherapies for depression. Summaries of research documenting the efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy are given.The authors outline the theoretical basis for an interpersonal approach, and apply it to depression. The following sections detail how to conduct interpersonal psychotherapy, supplying case vignettes to illustrate particular problems. Finally, the authors explore combining interpersonal psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy.

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 1984

Reviews

[Joseph Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic reading and book. Read this before I read the updated 2018 version

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would definitely not recommend this book for people not interested in psychotherapy at more than a passing level. The theory sections probably hold the most interest, but the specifics of how to apply the approach to actual clinical practice were also appreciated. The few books I've read on the topic of psychotherapy so far tend to lack balance between theory and practice, but this one comes closer to a happy medium. The main complaints are that the style often lacks engagement, combining a tendency for repetition of some points with an over-reliance on technical terms or jargon. In terms of the actual content, the theory is quite compelling, but the parts that seem most specific and efficacious aren't unique to this treatment modality. The authors seem blinded to this fact, noting that when more and less experienced practitioners achieve similar results, it may be because experienced practitioners have greater flexibility and interpersonal skills while younger practitioners tend to apply the manualized treatment more consistently or rigidly. As with many approaches, the desire to be right seems to have undermined their ability to consider all possibilities.