Reflecting the new and exciting trends in the treatment of psychiatric patients, this book presents a model of IPT 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 in depression. Research shows that four problem areas predominate: grief, interpersonal disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits. The therapist evaluates the need for medication in addition to interpersonal therapy (IPT) and focuses on the patient's problem area. Acknowledging that these areas are never mutually exclusive, the authors present a clear treatment strategy for each problem area, augmenting their presentation with a discussion of common problems that arise during IPT.

Since its introduction as a brief, empirically validated treatment for depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy has broadened its scope and repertoire to include disorders of behavior and personality as well as disorders of mood. Practitioners in today's managed care climate will welcome this encyclopedic reference consolidating the 1984 manual (revised) with new applications and research results plus studies in process and in promise and an international resource exchange.