A group adaptation of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents

This paper presents an overview of the adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A) to be delivered in a group format (IPT-AG) for the treatment of depressed, nonbipolar outpatient adolescents. The model has been modified to address the challenges of working with several adolescents in a group context. It takes advantage of the group as a laboratory environment for experimenting with new ways of communicating and interacting with others. The IPT-AG manual, described in this paper, provides guidelines for working with multiple interpersonal issues and keeping the group discussion relevant to the group as a whole. These adaptations are discussed in the context of the interpersonal framework with respect to each phase of treatment. Preliminary data about the feasibility and acceptability of conducting IPT-AG are discussed.