Abnormal Psychology

136 CHAPTER 4

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Table 4.5 • Four Themes of Relationship Problems in Interpersonal Therapyy

Theme Example Goal

Unresolved Grief A relationship lost through death Facilitate mourning of the lost

relationship and help the patient

develop other interests and activities

Role Transition Diffi culty coping with changes in life

(e.g., getting a new job, having a baby,

retiring) that lead to a new role for a

patient or family member

Help patient develop appropriate

expectations about what is needed for

the new role, as well as whatever skills

and social support are needed

Role Dispute Differing expectations about an

enduring relationship (such as that

between coworkers, family members,

or neighbors), which lead to chronic

signifi cant confl ict

Help identify the particular dispute

and develop ways to move forward;

encourage patient to try to change

patterns in the relationship or assess

whether expectations are realistic

Interpersonal Defi cits Exhibiting behaviors that lead to social

isolation and poor communication,

such as staying in bed all day or not

answering the phone

Decrease social isolation by focusing

on present relationship with a

therapist and forming additional

relationships

The Goal of Interpersonal Therapy

Originally developed to treat depression, the theory underlying interpersonal

therapy (IPT) is that symptoms of psychological disorders such as depression and

bulimia nervosa become exacerbated when a patient’s relationships aren’t function-

ing well. The goal of IPT is thus to improve the patient’s skills in relationships so that

they become more satisfying; as relationships improve, so do the patient’s thoughts

and feelings, and the symptoms of psychological disorders lessen. The therapist

who provides IPT tries to link specifi c aspects of the patient’s current relationships

with one of four kinds of problems in relationships (see Table 4.5; Klerman et al.,

1984); each type of problem suggests a distinct goal for treatment. For example,

with depressed patients, the task is to identify ways that current relationships are

not satisfying and then to set about enhancing those aspects of the relationships.

Perhaps a patient feels that a boyfriend does not communicate enough, and hence

the patient feels a lack of intimacy; a goal in this case would be to work on ways to

improve communication, which should in turn increase feelings of intimacy.

Methods Used in Interpersonal Therapy

IPT was conceived of as a short-term therapy, usually lasting 16 sessions. Moreover,

the therapist uses a treatment manual to guide the goals, techniques, and topics for

each session to ensure that all methods of the treatment are implemented.

To achieve the goals summarized in Table 4.5, the therapist providing IPT uses

a variety of methods, some borrowed from psychodynamic and cognitive behav-

ioral therapy; these methods helps patients to:

• consider the consequences of their actions in a relationship,


• role-play their interactions with signifi cant others,


• become more aware of feelings that they have tried to ignore or push aside,


• improve their communication skills, and


• tell others how they feel in an appropriate manner (Elkin, 1994; Shea et al., 1992;
  Weissman, Markowitz, & Klerman, 2000).

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
The form of treatment that is intended to
improve the patient’s skills in relationships so
that they become more satisfying.

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