Can Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) meet the psychosocial cost of life gifted by medical intervention?

Abstract

Context and focusAdvances in medicine and technology have improved the survival of children born with life threatening medical conditions. However, this gift of life entails potential psychological, emotional and social costs including the impact of enduring paediatric and adult medical trauma, growing up feeling different, tolerating discrimination and disempowerment and adjusting to a further loss of health. Here, these emotional issues are explored using congenital heart disease as a specific example. Currently, psychological difficulties are under diagnosed for this population which could impact not only on psychological well-being and quality of life but also recovery from illness. As such, the potential benefits of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) as a treatment option are explored.ConclusionsIPT seems a suitable treatment option for this population. Given that many of the issues faced by congenital heart disease survivors are likely to be shared with individuals born with other congenital conditions it seems likely that IPT generally offers a suitable treatment option for adults with a lifelong illness. A focus on the interpersonal difficulties faced by such individuals could benefit clients by validating the psychosocial cost that these individuals pay to live and endeavouring to develop an interpersonal network that better meets their complex psychological and emotional needs. Some potential limitations are discussed.