Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents Engaging in Non-suicidal Self-injury

Open clinical trial of IPT-ASI for depressed and self-injuring adolescents, 12-18 years. Goal is to assess feasibility of using IPT-A protocol for teens with co-morbid depression and self-injury. All eligible participants receive 12 weeks of individual IPT-ASI with optional monthly booster sessions. IPT-ASI is a psychosocial intervention that focuses on the importance of interpersonal relationships in relation to psychological functioning. The first phase (4 weeks) includes a review of depression and self-injury symptoms, psycho-education about depression and self-injury, and a detailed assessment of the patient's important interpersonal relationships. The middle phase (weeks 5-9) involves interpersonal skill building, including communication skills, affect identification and expression, problem solving. The final phase ( weeks 10-12) involves review of skills, generalization of skills to other relationships, termination.