Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Dysthymic Disorder is the first manual to examine the use of psychotherapy for dysthymic disorder, or chronic depression. This useful, innovative guide describes how to adapt interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)—a proven, time-limited therapy that has benefited patients who have other mood disorders and psychiatric syndromes—to treat dysthymic disorder. After discussing the characteristics of dysthymic disorder, the basic principles of IPT, and the available treatment data, this volume offers clear, coherent treatment strategies for working with this potentially difficult, yet treatable, disorder. A useful adjunct to training and supervision by certified clinicians, this book contains numerous case examples that vividly illustrate how to use this treatment approach. This text also includes an appendix with patient education materials, the IPT Problem Area Rating Scale (IPARS), and the IPT Outcome Scale. By using this text, therapists can improve their patients’ life functioning and provide a more comprehensive and effective treatment. --- from the publisher Contents: Preface. Overview of Dysthymic Disorder. Dysthymic disorder. Treatment of dysthymic disorder. Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Dysthymic Disorder. Overview of interpersonal psychotherapy. Interpersonal psychotherapy for dysthymic disorder (IPT-D). Case examples. Complex cases of dysthymic disorder. The “postdysthymic” patient. How long is long enough? For family members and significant others. Appendix. Literature cited. Index. Reviews: “Markowitz’s text is a useful addition to the literature regarding dysthymia and chronic depression. It should be considered essential for researchers interested in the treatment of dysthymic disorder. Therapists in more eclectic practice settings will also find many useful ideas to incorporate into their work.”—Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research “John Markowitz, a central figure in Cornell’s dysthymic research group and a leading expert in the field, outlines what has been learned about this condition. . . . The core of Markowitz’s therapeutic approach is the recognition that dysthymia is a chronic pathologic state, not an ingrained personality trait, and that when it is treated appropriately, patients respond dramatically and their lives are changed. The optimism implicit in this medical model is an essential aspect of the treatment, and in this important new book, Markowitz does for the profession what his treatment does for his patients. He converts a long-term, seemingly hopeless condition into a treatable and curable problem with an excellent prognosis. Therapists, patients, and their friends and families will find this a richly rewarding volume.”—Robert Michels, M.D., Walsh Mc Dermott University Professor of Medicine, University Professor of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York “Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Dysthymic Disorder provides a solution for treating some chronically depressed patients: time-limited psychotherapy based on traditional interpersonal therapy for depression, but tailored to the treatment of dysthymia. . . . Throughout the book, the author presents a balanced view of the strengths and limits of interpersonal therapy. . . . In addition, the appendices contain useful materials for educating patients and their families about dysthymia, and rating scales provide a means for monitoring patient progress.”—Journal of Clinical Psychiatry About the Author: John C. Markowitz, M.D., is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College and is the Director of the Psychotherapy Clinic at the Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Hospital, New York, New York.
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