Background: Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has long been viewed as an efficacious treatment for depression, with a large number of published studies allowing its efficacy and utility to be considered closely.
Methods: We review original studies and the one published meta-analysis of controlled efficacy trials, examining acute-phase and prophylactic studies, comparison studies with cognitive behaviour therapy, and studies evaluating its efficacy in combination with pharmacotherapy.
Results: We highlight difficulties in evaluating any psychotherapy, particularly when tested as having universal application for varying depressive conditions, but do identify circumstances where IPT may have specific salience.
Conclusions: As for other treatments, IPT is unlikely to be a universal therapy for depression. This review offers suggestions as to where its preferential utility may lie, and argues for modified research paradigms to assist definition of its therapeutic niche.