Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for Depression

Overview

Depression is an important health condition. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and it can be a cause of suicide. Depression will be the theme of WHO’s World Health Day 2017.

WHO recommends interpersonal therapy (IPT) as a possible first line treatment for depression. With this new manual, the World Health Organization (WHO) gives guidance on the use of interpersonal therapy (IPT) using a 8 session group protocol. The manual - which is part of WHO’s mhGAP programme - describes IPT in a simplified format for use by supervised facilitators who may not have received previous training in mental health.