Synopses & Reviews
Review
"This volume is more than a simple how to do it' book, although it does that with great clarity. It is comprehensive and therefore likely to be useful to professionals with very different levels of training and experience....[It] addresses both scholarly and practical issues related to a very promising treatment of a common disorder. I strongly recommend it to all clinicians who treat adolescents with depression." --From the Foreword by David Shaffer, MD
"Depression is common among adolescents and especially difficult to diagnose, manage, and treat. This book provides a well-planned and practical approach that will be useful for clinicians of diverse orientations. The special strength of the book is its focus on the relationship aspects of adolescent depression. This volume shows how relationships--often a source of great difficulty for depressed adolescents--can be turned into great opportunities." --Allen Frances, MD
"Psychotherapy with adolescents has often been deemed impossible at most, frustrating at best. In a brilliant new book, the authors of INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSED ADOLESCENTS provide a solution to the problem. A brief psychotherapeutic intervention for adolescents that works, IPT-A is grounded in Bowlby's attachment paradigm that anxiety and depression are part of the human condition and may become pathological states when significant losses or changes in relationships occur. It is a well-established treatment modality for adults which, unlike most psychotherapies, has been subject to as much scientific scrutiny as any drug trial. IPT-A is specifically tailored to the adolescent developmental tasks of separation, transition, and identity formation and is especially well suited for the population of adolescents who are bereaved, depressed, or experiencing interpersonal problems. A lucidly-written manual of operations describes the time-limited treatment (12 weeks) with the goals of improving the adolescents' self-esteem, clarification of the current problems including specific symptoms, and identification of effective techniques. Families are always included and other modalities, i.e., pharmacotherapy may be used in conjunction with IPT-A. Ample illustrative case vignettes are provided. I recommend INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSED ADOLESCENTS to mental health professionals who work with adolescents as an important enhancement to their clinical armamentarium." --Clarice Kestenbaum, MD, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
"Moreover, I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is involved with treatment of adolescent patients, regardless of his or her approach." --Karger
Review
"In addition to providing a revised manual that incorporates evidence-based practices and many very helpful clinical examples, the authors provide a concise but excellent general overview of other current treatment practices for depressed adolescents....I found this book to be well-organized and easy (actually fun) to read. I found the clinical examples and tips to be useful in general terms for working with adults as well as adolescents, especially in community settings....The brief, focal nature of the therapy is very adaptable for work with adolescents in community settings."--Community Mental Health Journal
Review
"IPT is a therapeutic approach that is highly amenable to [a] social worker's ecosystemic and family orientation. For social work practitioners and educators seeking an EST for their practice, or for training Master's level Social Work students, IPT is a good entree to a highly rigorous Evidence Based Practice....[A] strong resource for clinicians and educators....Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents...offers a good starting point for social workers in increasing their use of ESTs."--Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
Review
"Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is one of the most promising interventions for the treatment of depression, and one of the few that has empirical data to support its efficacy with adolescents. In this revised second edition, Mufson and colleagues provide an informative and succinct description of the steps involved in using IPT to treat depressed adolescents. Rich in theory and clinical detail, this is a valuable resource for anyone working with younger patients."--Steven D. Hollon, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University
"Since the publication of the first edition of this book, IPT for Adolescents (IPT-A) has matured. Well-conducted research studies have shown this to be a powerful treatment for depressed teenagers who are experiencing psychosocial complications. In this second edition, the authors share an extra decade of experience, present and discuss the research findings, and offer valuable advice on how the treatment can be applied to very young patients. This book is a 'must' for psychotherapists of any orientation who work with depressed teenagers."--David Shaffer, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
"In this expanded second edition, the authors build a compelling case for the value of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). Their comprehensive, theory-driven, evidence-based intervention manual is developmentally informed, innovative, and clinically relevant. The case material illuminates the various strategies and techniques associated with IPT-A and effective ways to implement the intervention approach. I highly recommend this book for trainees and experienced mental health professionals invested in providing quality, interpersonally oriented interventions for depressed youth."--Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
"The second edition of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents is an impressive guide for perplexed clinicians working with adolescents, who are bombarded with a plethora of untested treatment recommendations from every discipline. This book presents one of the few evidence-based, controlled studies of interventions for depressed teenagers. IPT-A is based on the premise that, regardless of the underlying cause, depression is a medical illness whose course is strongly intertwined with the patient's dysfunctional interpersonal relationships and affectional bonds, as described earlier by Sullivan and Bowlby. The authors present many vignettes from their clinical work, as well as an overview of recent community-based studies demonstrating the effectiveness of IPT-A in school-based clinics. Techniques of role-play and communication analysis in a time-limited therapy are offered, replete with case illustrations. This book will be invaluable for all mental health practitioners who work with adolescents in individual and community settings."--Clarice J. Kestenbaum, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Review
"This much needed second edition by experts in the field of interpersonal psychotherapy delivers hope and provides an evidence-based approach for the treatment of adolescent depression....presents an excellent treatment alternative that a clinician can use and expect quick results since it is time limited. It represents a welcome change at a time that is ridden with antidepressant medication controversy. The last section of the book has extremely useful tips for challenging cases. This book is a must have for all clinicians treating adolescents....a job well done. Weighted Numerical Score: 90 - 4 Stars!"--Doody's Review Service
Review
"The book is clear, insightful, and evidence-based....Any individual working with adolescents would benefit from reading this book, as it is directly applicable to clinical practice....IPT is an evidence-based therapy and highly applicable to the adolescent population. I would encourage anyone working with adolescents to read this book and keep it readily available for reference in their clinical practice."--Archives of Women's Mental Health
Synopsis
Depression is always a serious disorder. It is especially troubling when it affects adolescents: It can impair a teenager's ability to function at school, with family members, and with friends during the life stage when establishing and maintaining relationships are of paramount importance. Adolescent depression can result in lifelong emotional, social, and interpersonal difficulties or even suicidal behavior. While the management of depression is often a major component in the practice of mental health treatments with adolescents, until now no treatment method has focused primarily on interpersonal relationships.
Breaking new ground in the literature on the subject, this volume is the first to present a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). Proven effective in managing adult depression, IPT was recently modified into a time-limited (12-week-long) program designed for younger outpatients experiencing nonpsychotic, nonbipolar depression. To improve the patient's overall social networks, the IPT-A program involves the affected teenager as well as his or her parents. The treatment focuses on the problem areas of grief, interpersonal role disputes, role transitions, interpersonal deficits, and on single-parent families.
The volume reviews the epidemiology, assessment, and diagnosis of depression in children and adolescents, and then guides the reader through each phase of treatment. Strategies, goals, and implementation methods are covered for each individual session; clinical vignettes and therapist scripts throughout offer clear illustrations of the techniques discussed. Final chapters cover the special issues clinicians are confronted with when working with adolescent patients, including refusal to go to school, sexual activity, aggressive behavior, sexual abuse, and life in a non-nuclear family. Also discussed are day-to-day clinical issues such as how to handle missed appointments and parental interference.
With depression rates soaring among younger members of the population, this text could not be more timely. The practical, effective treatment program detailed in this volume will be invaluable to all mental health professionals who work with adolescents. It is also an important addition to courses on adolescent psychiatry, psychology, and social work.
Synopsis
Grounded in extensive research and clinical experience, this manual provides a complete guide to interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). IPT-A is an evidence-based brief intervention designed to meet the specific developmental needs of teenagers. Clinicians learn how to educate adolescents and their families about depression, work with associated relationship difficulties, and help clients manage their symptoms while developing more effective communication and interpersonal problem-solving skills. The book includes illustrative clinical vignettes, an extended case example, and information on the model's conceptual and empirical underpinnings. Helpful session checklists and sample assessment tools are featured in the appendices.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-211) and index.
About the Author
Laura Mufson, PhD, is Director of the Department of Clinical Psychology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Mufson was the first to adapt interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for adolescents and has been conducting research on interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents for over a decade. She travels extensively, training clinicians in treatment techniques for IPT. Kristen Pollack Dorta, PhD, is a clinical psychologist currently in private practice. Dr. Dorta has been instrumental in the implementation of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents in school-based mental health clinics and the training of school-based clinicians. Donna Moreau, MD, is in private practice in New York City. Previously she was Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Children's Anxiety and Depression Clinic at Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Myrna M. Weissman, PhD, one of the originators of interpersonal psychotherapy, is Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health. She is also Director of the Division of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and has published extensively on interpersonal psychotherapy, including coauthoring (with John C. Markowitz and Gerald L. Klerman)
A Comprehensive Guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
Table of Contents
I. Overview1. The Nature of Depression in Adolescents2. Current Psychosocial Treatments for Adolescent Depression3. The Origins and Development of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression
II. Application of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents4. Diagnosis of Depression and Suitability of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for the Adolescent5. Conducting Session 1 in IPT-A6. Initiating the Interpersonal Interview7. Selecting the Problem Area and Making the Treatment Contract8. The Middle Phase of IPT-A9. Therapeutic Techniques10. Grief11. Interpersonal Role Disputes12. Interpersonal Role Transitions13. Interpersonal Deficits14. Termination Phase
III. Special Issues in Treating Adolescents15. Clinical Issues in the Therapist–Patient Relationship16. Special Clinical Situations17. Crisis Management18. The Use of Medication in Conjunction with IPT-A19. Current and Future Research in IPT-A20. A Comprehensive Description of an IPT-A CaseAppendix A. Closeness CircleAppendix B. Interpersonal Inventory: How to Query about RelationshipsAppendix C. Session Checklist for Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents