The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry

Harry Stack Sullivan's Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry posits that anxiety and other psychiatric symptoms stem from conflicts between individuals and their environments. Personality development, too, is shaped through interactions with others. Sullivan believed that even severely impaired mental functions, such as those in schizophrenia, could be improved through therapy.1

Interpersonal therapies, influenced by Sullivan, help patients understand how their symptoms affect others and develop more effective communication and interpersonal styles. These therapies focus on identifying interpersonal problems like grief, conflicts, life transitions, or social skill deficits that may be linked to a patient's current distress. Psychological problems are viewed within their social or interpersonal context.2