Faculty

Holly A Swartz, MD

Holly A Swartz, MD

Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara Street
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

MD
Albert Einstein School of Medicine
Psychiatry, New York Hospital, Payne Whitney Clinic
Readers Digest Research Fellowship, Cornell University Medical Center

Current Appointments

Director, Center for Advanced Psychotherapy
Medical Director, Depression and Manic Depression Prevention Program

Professional Affiliations

Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Psychotherapy
Treasurer, International Society for Bipolar Disorders
Board Member, International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Treasurer, American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology

Selected Honors & Awards

Gerald L. Klerman Senior Investigator Award, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Top 10 Advancements & Breakthroughs, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Klerman Interpersonal Psychotherapy Award, International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Research Interests

Bipolar disorder; Maternal depression; Psychotherapy research
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Swartz HA, Rucci P, Thase ME, Wallace M, Carretta E, Celedonia KL, Frank E. Psychotherapy alone and combined with medication as treatments for bipolar II depression: A randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry; in press
  2. Phillips ML, Swartz HA. A critical appraisal of neuroimaging studies of bipolar disorder: toward a new conceptualization of underlying neural circuitry and roadmap for future research; Am J Psychiatry 2014; 171 (8):829-43. (PMID: 24626773; PMCID: PMC4119497)
  3. Swartz HA, Cyranowski JM, Cheng Y, Zuckoff A, Brent DA, Markowitz JC, Martin S, Amole MC, Ritchey F, Frank E. Brief psychotherapy for maternal depression: Impact on mothers and children. J Am Acad Child Adol Psychiatry 2016; 55 (6):495-503 (PMCID: PMC4886238)
  4. Swartz HA, Frank E, Cheng Y. A randomized pilot study of psychotherapy and quetiapine for the acute treatment of bipolar II depression. Bipolar Disord 2012; 14: 211-216. (doi:10.1111/j.1399-5618.2012.00988.x; PMID 224202597; PMCID: PMC3307150)
  5. Swartz HA, Frank E, Zuckoff A, Cyranowski JM, Houck PR, Cheng Y, Fleming MAD, Grote NK, Brent DA, Shear MK. Brief interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers whose children are receiving psychiatric treatment. Am J Psychiatry 2008; 165: 1155-1162. (PMCID: PMC2757752)

Clinical Interests

Bipolar disorder; Depression; Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Swartz HA, Grote NK, Graham P. Brief interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-B): Overview and review of the evidence. Am J Psychotherapy 2014; 68 (4) 443-462. PMCID: PMC3149872
  2. Swartz HA, Fagiolini A. Cardiovascular disease and bipolar disorder: Risk and clinical implications. J. Clin Psychiatry 2012; 73 (12) 1563-1565 (doi:10.4088/JCP.12ac08227; PMID 23290329).
  3. Swartz HA, Levenson JC, Frank E. Psychotherapy for bipolar II disorder: The role of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy. Prof Psychol Res Pr 2012; 43 (2): 145-153. (doi:10.1037/a0027671)
  4. Swartz HA, Frank E, OToole K, Newman N, Kiderman H, Carlson S, Fink JW, Cheng Y, Maihoefer C, Wells KF, Houck PR, Painter T, Ortenzio SH, Simon SL, Henschke P, Ghinassi F. Implementing interpersonal and social rhythm therapy for mood disorders across a continuum of care. Psychiatr Serv 2011; 62:1377-1380. (PMID 22211221
  5. Swartz HA, Zuckoff A, Grote NK, Spielvogle HN, Bledsoe SE, Shear MK, Frank E. Engaging depressed patients in psychotherapy: Integrating techniques from motivational interviewing and ethnographic interviewing to improve treatment participation. Prof Psychol Res Pr 2007, 38:430-439

Education Interests

Resident psychotherapy training; Resident pharmacology education; Psychology internship pharmacology education
Selected Education Publications & Products
  1. Swartz HA Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for depressed adults: Indications, theoretical foundations, general concepts, and efficacy. In: Roy-Byrne PP, Solomon D, eds., UpToDate; Waltham, MA: 2010-2016. www.uptodate.com
  2. Swartz HA Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for depressed adults: Specific interventions and techniques. In: Roy-Byrne PP, Solomon D, eds., UpToDate; Waltham, MA: 2010-2016. www.uptodate.com

Congratulations to the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Resident and Fellow Class of 2024!

2024 Resident Graduation

Graduates of the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) residency training program gathered with friends, family, loved ones, and supporters at the Pitt University Club on June 12, 2024. Below are the awards and honors presented at the 2024 graduation ceremony. 2024 Psychiatry Student Interest Group Exemplary Service Award for Excellence in Teaching Faculty: Daniel Bender, DO Residents: Jessica Stephens, DO, and...

Holly Swartz, MD, Elected President of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders

Holly Swartz, MD

We are pleased to announce that Holly Swartz, MD (Professor of Psychiatry) has been elected President of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD). The ISBD fosters international collaboration in education, research, and clinical care to improve the lives of those with bipolar disorder and related conditions. Dr. Swartz is an internationally recognized expert in optimizing psychosocial and...

Randomized Trial of Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression Delivered Both In-Person and by Telehealth

Swartz et al. Journal of Affective DIsorders 2023

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with substantial psychosocial impairment, increased risk for suicide, and morbidity. As a first-line treatment for MDD, many patients receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), interventions that have been typically delivered face-to-face. Despite the ubiquity of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about...

Congratulations to the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Resident and Fellow Class of 2022!

Resident & Fellow Graduation – Class of 2022

Graduates of the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) residency training program gathered with friends, family, loved ones, and supporters at the Pitt University Club on June 16, 2022. The ceremony was livestreamed for those who could not attend in person. Michael Travis, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Senior Director for Postgraduate Physician Training) opened the ceremony remarking, “As I have...