| Abstract: | This article reviews findings from manual-guided training programs in short-term interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for depression, an exploratory treatment that focuses on symptom reduction and improvement of social functioning. The literature revealed (a) that experienced, dynamically trained therapists were able to achieve a high level of competence in IPT after comparatively brief training and were able to maintain adherence to the manual over a lengthy study; (b) that general dimensions of the psychotherapy process, including therapist warmth and patient difficulty, were highly correlated with ratings of therapist competence in the performance of IPT; and (c) that therapists judged as performing IPT more competently tended to be more effective. Although definitive evidence on the effectiveness of manual-guided training is lacking, the use of manuals and systematic therapist training appear to be useful for the conduct of psychotherapy efficacy research. Findings showing that manual adherence is related to therapist efficacy suggest a role for these procedures in clinical training and competency determination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
