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Cited by 214Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Mechanisms of change in interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Open access
Lipsitz, Joshua D., Markowitz, John C.·2013·Clinical Psychology Review
DOI 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.09.002PMC PMC4109031
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Abstract

Although interpersonal therapy (IPT) has demonstrated efficacy for mood and other disorders, little is known about how IPT works. We present interpersonal change mechanisms that we hypothesize account for symptom change in IPT. Integrating relational theory and insights based on research findings regarding stress, social support, and illness, IPT highlights contextual factors thought to precipitate and maintain psychiatric disorders. It frames therapy around a central interpersonal problem in the patient's life, a current crisis or relational predicament that is disrupting social support and increasing interpersonal stress. By mobilizing and working collaboratively with the patient to resolve this problem, IPT seeks to activate several interpersonal change mechanisms. These include: 1) enhancing social support, 2) decreasing interpersonal stress, 3) facilitating emotional processing, and 4) improving interpersonal skills. We hope that articulating these mechanisms will help therapists to formulate cases and better maintain focus within an IPT framework. Here we propose interpersonal mechanisms that might explain how IPT's interpersonal focus leads to symptom change. Future work needs to specify and test candidate mediators in clinical trials. We anticipate that pursuing this more systematic strategy will lead to important refinements and improvements in IPT and enhance its application in a range of clinical populations.

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  • IPT's uniqueness lies in seeking to activate all of these mechanisms in a coherent, plausible therapeutic frame, defined by a current interpersonal crisis or predicament in the patient's life and in a time-limited, diagnosis-focused treatment.

    “However, IPT's uniqueness lies in seeking to activate all of these in a coherent, plausible therapeutic frame, defined by a current interpersonal crisis or predicament in the patient's lifeand in a time-limited, diagnosis-focused treatment (37).”

    From Ultra-Brief Crisis IPT-A Based Intervention for Suicidal Children and Adolescents (IPT-A-SCI) Pilot Study Results (2020) · cites this paper as [37]

  • According to prior work, IPT seeks to activate several interpersonal change mechanisms: enhancing social support, decreasing interpersonal stress, facilitating emotional processing, and improving interpersonal skills.

    “According to (37) by mobilizing and working collaboratively with the patient to resolve this problem, IPT seeks to activate several interpersonal change mechanisms. These include: enhancing social support; decreasing interpersonal stress; facilitating emotional processing; and improving interpersonal skills.”

    From Ultra-Brief Crisis IPT-A Based Intervention for Suicidal Children and Adolescents (IPT-A-SCI) Pilot Study Results (2020) · cites this paper as [37]

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Anchin JC Kiesler DJ Handbook of interpersonal psychotherapy 1982 1981 Oxford Pergamon Press
  2. Bateman A Fonagy P Psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder 2004 London Oxford Retrieved from http://web.comhem.se/mentalize/mbt_training_jan_06.pdf
  3. Bowlby J Attachment and loss 1973 2 London Penguin Books Separation
  4. Durkheim E Suicide 1897/1951 New York Free Press
  5. Fairbairn RD An object-relations theory of the personality 1954 Oxford Basic Books
  6. Leaf PJ Weissman MM Myers JK Holzer III CE Tischler GL Psychosocial risks and correlates of major depression in one United States urban community 1986 Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1986-98774-004

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Authors
Lipsitz, J. D., & Markowitz, J. C.
Affiliations
  • Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Lipsitz, Joshua D.
ORCID
Venue
Clinical Psychology Review
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-12
Volume
33
Issue
8
Pages
1134-1147
ISSN
0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cpr.2013.09.002
PMC
PMC4109031
OpenAlex
W2041230728
Cited by
214
References
180
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4
FWCI
0.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH079078)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
interpersonal psychotherapy, mechanisms of change, social support, interpersonal stress, emotional processing, social skills, mood disorders, relational theory, case formulation
MeSH terms
Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Psychotherapy, Social Support, Treatment Outcome, Mood Disorders

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