Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Our lab conducted a pilot RCT of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for College Students (IPT-CS), delivered in group modality, at the Loyola Wellness Center.  With the help of colleagues at Ben Gurion University and Johns Hopkins University, the IMPACT lab developed a manualized, eight session, group IPT treatment model specifically for college students. We examined the impact of this intervention on college students experiencing mild to moderate depression. The intervention consisted of weekly group meetings led by Dr. Conley and several of the Graduate Student Counselors at the Wellness Center. The group focused on various interpersonal skills (e.g., communication and interpersonal decision making), and understanding the connection between mood and interpersonal events. In a recently published paper (Conley, Broner, Hareli et al., 2024), we examined the acceptability and feasibility of the IPT intervention, as well as effects on various outcomes: 

• Depression

• Anxiety 

• Quality of life 

• Interpersonal functioning:

  • Social support appraisals

  • Social adjustment to college

  • Interpersonal concerns / IPT focus areas

• Intervention feasibility, acceptability, and accessibility:

  • Client satisfaction

  • Value of intervention components

  • Group cohesiveness

  • Facilitator experiences

  • Mental health attitudes/messages

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Our future work on IPT includes:

• A qualitative analysis of the content and process of the IPT-CS group

• Tailoring treatment protocols for delivering IPT to college students with specific experiences and identities (e.g., LGBTQIA+ students, students of color, student athletes), in collaboration with Loyola partners in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, The Wellness Center, and Athletics. 

• A collaboration with IPT/IPC scholars, clinicians, and community partners at the Youth Equity Center and the Uptown Hub in Washington Heights, New York City, to tailor IPC, including tools from IPT-CS, to: 

  • be delivered by Youth Advocates and Community Wellness Specialists, mental health paraprofessionals who are engaged in addressing social determinants of health;

  • address the unique needs and experiences of youth (ages 14-24) with marginalized identities and experiences, including:

    • mostly Black and Latiné youth

    • many LGBTQIA+ youth or MSM, with HIV+ or HIV risk 

    • youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, including having a justice-involved parent

    • youth involved in the justice system