Effectiveness of Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) on Depression among Adolescents in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Makueni County, Kenya

Alice Katunge Nzangi, Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology; Alice Munene, Psy.D., & Susan Changorok, Ph.D., Daystar University

Depression is a common mental illness and a major cause of disability among adolescents (Girma et al., 2021).  Despite the fact that the guidance and counseling programs in secondary schools attend to mental health issues among adolescents, there seems to be inadequate attention to depression.  This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of IPT in treating depression among 84 students in selected public mixed-day and boarding public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. 42 students were assigned to the experimental group and 42 to the control group. Multiple time-series designs were used. Those in the experimental group were exposed to IPT treatment for a period of 8 weeks while the participants in the control group received no structured treatment within the same period. The findings of this study showed that IPT was effective in treating depression among adolescents. Based on the findings, IPT was recommended in the management of depression and the improvement of mental health in adolescents in secondary school.

Keywords: Depression, Adolescents, Interpersonal therapy