IPT (Integrated psychological therapy – cognitive training)

IPT is a programme for persons with a severe, cognitive disability. It is a group treatment that integrates cognitive and social training. The method was developed in Bern, Switzerland, and there is a manual in Swedish.

Target group

Persons with severe cognitive disability.

Aim

To improve the patient’s cognitive functions and her or his ability to cope with social situations.

Content and implementation

IPT is based on Cognitive behavioural therapy. The symptoms or the disease is thought to be caused by a combination of medical, biological, social and psychological factors.

The programme is a group treatment and presupposes a head therapist and a co-therapist.

IPT includes two main parts, one cognitive and one social. The cognitive part is subdivided into three parts, namely one on cognitive differentiation, one on social perception and one on verbal communication. The first subpart is about basic cognitive impairment. This part of the programme is group based and the patient works towards individual goals. Subpart two and three focus on social cognition, for instance emotional attention and capability. In the second main part social capability is trained. Methods such as role-playing and group based problem solving are used.

Scope and frequency

There should be no more than six course members. The group meets two to three times a week and each meeting lasts for 30 to 90 minutes. The total number of sessions depends on the ability of the partakers and on how many parts of the course are carried out. The whole programme may go on for a year, but the average time is four months.

Education and license

The education is given by Psykologisk Konsult AB.

The education takes the form of self-instruction. It presupposes post-secondary education within the fields of psychiatry, pedagogics or care work, or else many years of experience of psychiatric care together with experience of work with patients in group therapy. Departments that want to use the method must have a license.