Training therapists to perform interpersonal psychotherapy in clinical trials

While more extensive casework appeared to improve the performance of those with lower initial ratings, those with high initial ratings may not require prolonged training to perform this form of psychotherapy in clinical trials.

Abstract

This article describes procedures to train psychotherapists for performance of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in clinical trials including use of a training manual, didactic seminars, and supervised casework. In two separate programs, training effects were measured by contrasting therapist skill ratings based on initial and subsequent cases. In one program, highly experienced psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapists were found to perform IPT at a high level on their first supervised case following review of the manual and completion of the didactic seminar. Their performance did not improve in subsequent training cases. In another program, therapists with less experience and differences in other characteristics were found to perform at an acceptable level in the first training case and to significantly improve performance with a second case. In no case did a therapist demonstrate unacceptable performance in later cases when performance was adequate with an initial case. Thus, while more extensive casework appeared to improve the performance of those with lower initial ratings, those with high initial ratings may not require prolonged training to perform this form of psychotherapy in clinical trials.