Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents

Background: Psychotherapy is widely used for depressed adolescents, but evi dence supporting its efficacy is sparse. Methods: In a controlled, 12-week, clinical trial of Interpersonal Psychoth erapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), 48 clinic-referred adolescents (ag ed 12-18 years) who met the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive disorde r were randomly assigned to either weekly IPT-A or clinical monitoring. Pat ients were seen biweekly by a "blind" independent evaluator to assess their symptoms, social functioning, and social problem-solving skills. Thirty-tw o of the 48 patients completed the protocol (21 IPT-A-assigned patients and 11 patients in the control group). Results: Patients who received IPT-A reported a notably greater decrease in depressive symptoms and greater improvement in overall social functioning, functioning with friends, and specific problem-solving skills. In the inte nt-to-treat sample, 18 (75%) of 24 patients who received IPT-A compared wit h 11 patients (46%) in the control condition met recovery criterion (Hamilt on Rating Scale for Depression score less than or equal to 6) at week 12. Conclusions: These preliminary findings support the feasibility, acceptabil ity, and efficacy of 12 weeks of IPT-A in acutely depressed adolescents in reducing depressive symptoms and improving social functioning and interpers onal problem-solving skills. Because it is a small sample consisting largel y of Latino, low socioeconomic status adolescents, further studies must be conducted with other adolescent populations to confirm the generalizability of the findings.