Goals of IPT with Depression
A goal of IPT is to relieve acute depressive symptoms by helping the patient to become more effective in dealing with those current interpersonal problems that are associated with the onset of symptoms. Symptom relief begins with educating the patient about depression—its nature, course, and prognosis, and the various treatment alternatives. Following a complete diagnostic evaluation, the patient is told that the vague and uncomfortable symptoms are part of a known syndrome that has been well described, is understood, is relatively common, responds to a variety of treatments, and has a good prognosis.
Psychopharmacological approaches may be used in conjunction with IPT to alleviate symptoms more rapidly.
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