Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Older Adults

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Older Adults is the first clinical book on how to conduct Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) with persons 65 years of age and older. This growing cohort in the United States is expected to rise substantially after 2010, when the baby boom cohort enters that age category.

To help clinicians learn effective care, the authors draw upon a wealth of experience to provide a comprehensive review of theory and research as well as practical guidance on clinical interventions. The authors review late life depression's presentation, health consequences, prevalence, interpersonal dynamics, clinical assessment, and treatment. Particularly valuable is the inclusion of actual clinical cases to illustrate the use of IPT in each phase of treatment. A case is made for why IPT is especially well suited for older persons by drawing upon theory and research on aging, the author's clinical experience in using IPT with older adults, and clinical research studies of IPT with the aged.

By showing how the science of gerontology can best inform the practice of clinical geropsychology, the authors have written a book that will be an invaluable resource to any mental health professionals working with older adults.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. Gerontology: Exploring the Worlds of Older Adults
2. Depression and Older Adults
3. Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Origins, Structure, Research, and Applications
4. Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Late-Life Depression
5. The Initial Sessions
6. Grief
7. Interpersonal Role Disputes
8. Role Transitions
9. Interpersonal Deficits
10. Termination
11. Issues in Implementation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy With Older Adults
12. Next Steps

Resources

References

Index

About the Authors

Gregory A. Hinrichsen, PhD, ABPP, has spent his entire professional life in the field of aging, beginning with a first job out of college as a social services outreach worker to older adults. Over the course of his 40-year career, he has provided mental health services to older adults and their families, conducted research, directed psychology internship and geropsychology fellowship programs, and contributed to public policy.

He has held leadership positions in geropsychology professional organizations and received the Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging from the APA Committee on Aging. He has expertise in interpersonal psychotherapy and coauthored (with Kathleen Clougherty) Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Older Adults.

Dr. Hinrichsen is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, where he provides mental health services to older adults in primary care, teaches, and supervises. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, where he teaches and collaborates on interpersonal psychotherapy, global mental health, and military service veteran research studies.