PC03 – Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Culture, Attachment Patterns of Relating and Mentalizing
Wednesday, Oct. 18
14:00 – 17:00 (3 hrs)
Meeting Room: Junior Ballroom AB (3rd floor – North Tower)
Paula Ravitz*, MD, FRCPC; Priya Watson, MD, FRCPC
CanMEDS Roles:
- Communicator
- Medical Expert
- Scholar
At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Use IPT in biopsychosocial and cultural case case formulation and depression treatment; 2) Describe IPT clinical guidelines to help patients in the contexts of stressful life events of loss/grief, life changes/social role transitions and relational conflicts/role disputes; and 3) Apply culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, relationally-focused principles to the delivery of mental health care and psychotherapy.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-supported psychotherapy with numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses establishing its effectiveness locally and globally, including in low- and middle-income countries. It is recommended as a first-line depression treatment in consensus treatment guidelines by the World Health Organization, Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments, American Psychiatric Association, and National Institute for Health and Care and has been culturally adapted for many settings.
Principles of IPT are relevant to biopsychosocial and cultural case formulation and depression treatment for patients whose illness onset or worsening is associated with relational life events of loss, change, conflict, or isolation. Mentalizing principles are compatibly integrated into IPT for patients with unresolved developmental trauma and insecure attachment.
This case-based, interactive course provides a foundational overview of IPT with emphasis on culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed clinical care with attention to individual patient differences in attachment patterns of relating and mentalizing.
References:
- Cuijpers P, Donker T, Weissman MM, et al. Interpersonal psychotherapy for mental health problems: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry 2016;173:680–687.
- Watson P, Raju P, Soklaridis S. Teaching not knowing: strategies for cultural competence in psychotherapy supervision. Acad Psychiatr 2017;41:55–61.
