Interpersonal psychotherapy — structured clinical viva

Markers want a consultant-level account of IPT as time-limited medical-model interpersonal therapy, coherent grief focus after delayed mourning, phase structure, fair evidence (meta-analysis, TDCRP, maintenance), CBT comparison without brand warfare, and combined care for recurrent depression rather than forced medication stop.[1][2][4]

Time-limited, structured psychotherapy originally for major depression linking symptoms to current interpersonal context; depression framed as medical illness; reciprocal mood–relationship model; typically one primary focus from four problem areas; ~12–16 sessions acute course.[1]

Complicated grief primary: mother’s death 9 months ago with inhibited mourning (“kept busy, never cried”), then depressive syndrome and withdrawal. Inventory may also note role changes and secondary isolation. Hold one primary focus for middle-phase work.[1]

Initial: diagnose, risk, medical model, sick role, interpersonal inventory, select focus, set time limit. Middle: facilitate mourning; review relationship realistically including ambivalence; reconnect to living supports; communication analysis as needed. Termination: treat ending as loss/role transition; consolidate gains; interpersonal early-warning signs; maintenance plan given recurrence history.[1][4]

Cuijpers meta-analysis: IPT efficacious for depression.[2] Broader comprehensive meta-analysis across mental health problems.[5] TDCRP: IPT among major brief treatments with CBT and imipramine+CM.[3] Frank 1990: maintenance therapies including long-horizon planning after recurrent depression recovery.[4] (Bonus) Perinatal IPT landmark if asked about adaptations.[6]

Both first-line psychological options for many depressive presentations. Prefer IPT when formulation is strongly interpersonal (loss, dispute, transition, isolation) and patient rejects worksheet-heavy CBT; prefer CBT when panic/OCD/exposure needs dominate or patient prefers cognitive-behavioural model. Access and supervised competence matter. Not mutually exclusive across a lifetime pathway.[2][3][1]

No. Combined care is common and historically supported in drug-plus-psychotherapy traditions. Given recurrent relapses after discontinuation, discuss maintenance pharmacotherapy and IPT (acute then possible IPT-M), shared decision-making, not modality purity.[3][4][2]