Interpersonal psychotherapy in Kenya

Abstract

This chapter discusses interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in Kenya. It highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships of family and extended community in the application of IPT in Kenya. The choice of applying IPT in Kenya was also determined by the need to strengthen communication and connection between individuals and families that are disrupted due to extreme adversities, stress, and pressures of modern living. The chapter presents interpersonal psychotherapy as a framework for understanding the subjective experience of distress in Kenya. It considers the work put into task sharing, task shifting, and mental illness stigma reduction while looking into capacity building and interpersonal skill training of healthcare workers.