Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Versus Treatment as Usual for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Efficacy
Abstract
This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) in the treatment of patients suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders, as compared with a control case sample composed of patients undergoing treatment as usual (TAU). Sixty patients with depressive or anxiety disorders according to DSM IV-TR were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (STPP) or control group for 12 months (T1). Primary outcome measures were the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), and the Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale. Intention to treat analysis revealed that patients who received STPP showed significantly more improvements in comparison with those who were in the TAU group on Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale and IIP measures. This study offers evidence that STPP is an effective treatment for patients with anxiety or depressive disorders, and it could be more effective than TAU in improving interpersonal problems as measured by IIP.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In Bressi et al. (2010), it is likely that TAU provided a strong comparison condition.
“In this study, it is likely that TAU provided a strong comparison condition.”
From Systematic review and meta-analysis of transdiagnostic psychological treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders in adulthood (2015) · cites this paper as Bressi et al., 2010
Cites
Jacobson, N. S., & Truax, P. (1991) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.59.1.12 · Cited by 7,770 · see citing works
Inventory of interpersonal problems: Psychometric properties and clinical applications.
Horowitz, L. M., Rosenberg, S. E., Baer, B. A., Ureño, G., & Villaseñor, V. S. (1988) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.56.6.885 · Cited by 2,026 · see citing works
Jacobson, N. S., Roberts, L. J., Berns, S. B., & McGlinchey, J. B. (1999) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-006x.67.3.300 · Cited by 853 · see citing works
Jacobson, N. S., Roberts, L. J., Berns, S. B., & McGlinchey, J. B. (1999) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.67.3.300 · Cited by 853 · see citing works
Leichsenring, F., Rabung, S., & Leibing, E. (2004) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.61.12.1208 · Cited by 513 · see citing works
Svartberg, M., Stiles, T. C., & Seltzer, M. H. (2004) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.5.810 · Cited by 398 · see citing works
Effectiveness of psychotherapy for personality disorders.
Perry, J., Banon, E., & Ianni, F. (1999) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.156.9.1312 · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Blagys, M. D., & Hilsenroth, M. J. (2000) · Clinical Psychology Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy.7.2.167 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapies for common mental disorders
Abbass, A. A., Kisely, S. R., Town, J. M., Leichsenring, F., Driessen, E., de Maat, S. C. M., Gerber, A. J., Dekker, J., Rabung, S., Rusalovs'ka, S., et al. (2014) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004687.pub4 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
The efficacy of brief dynamic psychotherapy: a meta-analysis
Crits-Christoph, P. F. (1992) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.149.2.151 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
Toward the Validation of Dynamic Psychotherapy: A Replication
MALAN, D. H. (1976) · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Distinctive activities of cognitive–behavioral therapy
Blagys, M. D., & Hilsenroth, M. J. (2002) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(01)00117-9 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
Short-term dynamically oriented psychotherapy: A review and meta-analysis
Anderson, É. (1995) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/0272-7358(95)00027-m · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Comparative effects of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: A meta-analysis.
Svartberg, M., & Stiles, T. C. (1991) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.59.5.704 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapies for common mental disorders
Abbass, A. A., Hancock, J. T., Henderson, J., & Kisely, S. R. (2006) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004687.pub3 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Psychodynamic psychotherapy: a systematic review of techniques, indications and empirical evidence.
Leichsenring, F., & Leibing, E. (2007) · Psychology and psychotherapy · doi:10.1348/147608306x117394 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Practice guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders
James, N. M. (2008) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1440-1614.2001.0949d.pp.x · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Maina, G., Forner, F., & Bogetto, F. (2004) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000082026 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Hilsenroth, M. J., ACKERMAN, S. J., Blagys, M. D., Baity, M. R., & Mooney, M. A. (2003) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000071582.11781.67 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Suitability for psychoanalytic psychotherapy: a review
Valbak, K. (2004) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1046/j.1600-0447.2003.00248.x · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Psychodynamics, Training, and Outcome in Brief Psychotherapy
MALAN, D. H., & Osimo, F. (1992) · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Review of Recent Process and Outcome Studies
Lewis, A. J., Dennerstein, M., & Gibbs, P. M. (2008) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/00048670802050520 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Motivation for Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy
Høglend, P. A. (2010) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000289077 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Stability, reliability, and norms for the inventory of interpersonal problems
Woodward, L. E., Murrell, S. A., & Bettler, R. F. (2005) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503300512331334977 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A systematic review of personality trait change through intervention.
Roberts, B. W., Luo, J., Briley, D. A., Chow, P. I., Su, R., & Hill, P. L. (2017) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000088 · Cited by 1,047 · see citing works
Newby, J. M., McKinnon, A., Kuyken, W., Gilbody, S., & Dalgleish, T. (2015) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.002 · Cited by 545 · see citing works
Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapies for common mental disorders
Abbass, A. A., Kisely, S. R., Town, J. M., Leichsenring, F., Driessen, E., de Maat, S. C. M., Gerber, A. J., Dekker, J., Rabung, S., Rusalovs'ka, S., et al. (2014) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004687.pub4 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update
Fonagy, P. (2015) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20235 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Carlucci, L., Saggino, A., & Balsamo, M. (2021) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101999 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Psychodynamic therapy meets evidence-based medicine: a systematic review using updated criteria.
Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Hilsenroth, M., Abbass, A., Barber, J., Keefe, J. R., Leweke, F., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2015) · Lancet psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(15)00155-8 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
A meta-analytic review of psychodynamic therapies for anxiety disorders
Keefe, J. R., McCarthy, K. S., Dinger, U., Zilcha‐Mano, S., & Barber, J. P. (2014) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.03.004 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
The Empirical Status of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy - An Update: Bambi's Alive and Kicking
Leichsenring, F., Leweke, F., Klein, S., & Steinert, C. (2015) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000376584 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
The emerging evidence for long-term psychodynamic therapy.
Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Luyten, P., Hilsenroth, M., & Rabung, S. (2013) · Psychodynamic Psychiatry · doi:10.1521/pdps.2013.41.3.361 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Leichsenring, F., & Salzer, S. (2013) · Psychotherapy · doi:10.1037/a0033815 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
van Hees, M. L. J. M., Rotter, T., Ellermann, T., & Evers, S. M. A. A. (2013) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/1471-244x-13-22 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Briggs, S., Netuveli, G., Gould, N., Gkaravella, A., Gluckman, N., Kangogyere, P., Farr, R. R., Goldblatt, M., & Lindner, R. (2019) · The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.33 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Smit, Y., Huibers, M., Ioannidis, J., van Dyck, R., van Tilburg, W. V., & Arntz, A. (2012) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.11.003 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Evidence for psychodynamic psychotherapy in specific mental disorders: a systematic review
Leichsenring, F., & Klein, S. (2014) · Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy · doi:10.1080/02668734.2013.865428 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Psychodynamic Treatment of Depression
Luyten, P., & Blatt, S. J. (2012) · Psychiatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.psc.2012.01.001 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
McFarquhar, T. F., Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2017) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.09.036 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Pro-inflammatory cytokines and psychotherapy in depression: Results from a randomized clinical trial
Del Grande da Silva, G., Wiener, C. D., Barbosa, L. P., Gonçalves Araujo, J. M., Molina, M. L., San Martin, P., Oses, J. P., Jansen, K., Dias de Mattos Souza, L., & Azevedo da Silva, R. (2016) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.01.008 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Bressi, C., Fronza, S., Minacapelli, E., Nocito, E. P., Dipasquale, E., Magri, L., Lionetti, F., & Barone, L. (2016) · Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1111/papt.12110 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Lilliengren, P., Johansson, R., Lindqvist, K., Mechler, J., & Andersson, G. (2016) · Psychotherapy · doi:10.1037/pst0000024 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
The Efficacy of Psychotherapy: Focus on Psychodynamic Psychotherapy as an Example
Levy, K. N., Ehrenthal, J. C., Yeomans, F. E., & Caligor, E. (2014) · Psychodynamic Psychiatry · doi:10.1521/pdps.2014.42.3.377 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Imai, H., Tajika, A., Chen, P., Pompoli, A., & Furukawa, T. A. (2016) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd011170.pub2 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
A Series of Meta-Analytic Tests of the Efficacy of Long-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Woll-Weber, C. F. J., & Schönbrodt, F. D. (2019) · European Psychologist · doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000385 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Leichsenring, F., Klein, S., & Salzer, S. (2014) · Contemporary Psychoanalysis · doi:10.1080/00107530.2014.880310 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
González-Robles, A., Díaz‐García, A., Miguel, C., García‐Palacios, A., & Botella, C. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207396 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Advances in the Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression
Holtzheimer, P. E. (2010) · FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/foc.8.4.foc488 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Pitman, S. R., Slavin‐Mulford, J. M., & Hilsenroth, M. J. (2014) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000000137 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Rosso, G., Aragno, E., Cuomo, A., Fagiolini, A. M., Salvo, G. D., & Maina, G. (2019) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.073 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Heterocycles–Containing HDAC Inhibitors Active in Cancer: An Overview of the Last Fifteen Years
Raucci, A., Castiello, C., Mai, A., Zwergel, C., & Valente, S. (2024) · ChemMedChem · doi:10.1002/cmdc.202400194 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy: an up-to-date review
Leichsenring, F., & Steinert, C. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813373-6.00004-0 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Johansson, R. (2013) · Linköping studies in behavioural science · doi:10.3384/diss.diva-100385 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Effects of Early‐Stage Group Psychoeducation Programme for Patients with Depression
Tanaka, S., Ishikawa, E., Mochida, A., Kawano, K., & Kobayashi, M. (2015) · Occupational Therapy International · doi:10.1002/oti.1397 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Angeletti, G., Pompili, M., Innamorati, M., Santucci, C., Savoja, V., Goldblatt, M. J., & Girardi, P. (2013) · Depression Research and Treatment · doi:10.1155/2013/408983 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Transdiagnostic psychological interventions for emotional disorders: A comprehensive meta-analysis
Jiménez-Orenga, N., Miguel, C., González-Robles, A., Fernández‐Álvarez, J., Grimaldos, J., Bretón-López, J. M., Botella, C., Cuijpers, P. J., García‐Palacios, A., Papola, D., et al. (2025) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.119537 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Stuke, F., Bröcker, A., Bayer, S., Heinz, A., Bermpohl, F., Lempa, G., von Haebler, D., & Montag, C. (2020) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.2437 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Molina, M. L., Jansen, K., Pinheiro, R. T., da Silva, R. A., dos Passos, M. B., & Souza, L. D. D. M. (2017) · Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto) · doi:10.1590/1982-43272767201701 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Giannone, F., Giordano, C., & Blasi, M. D. (2015) · International Journal of Group Psychotherapy · doi:10.1521/ijgp.2015.65.4.501 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy versus Sertraline in Treatment of Social Phobia
Moghadam, M. N.-M., Atef-Vahid, M. K., Farid, A. A. A., Shabani, A., & Lavasni, F. (2015) · Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.17795/ijpbs228 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
[Evaluation of outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy: results of a controlled field study ].
Geiser, F., Trautmann-Voigt, S., Kaspers, S., Zander, D., Voigt, B., Wegener, I., Hofmann, P., Conrad, R., & Imbierowicz, K. (2014) · Zeitschrift für psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie · doi:10.13109/zptm.2014.60.3.251 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
A guide to what works for anxiety
Reavley, N. J., Allen, N., Jorm, A. F., Morgan, A. J., Ryan, S., & Purcell, R. (2013) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Moser, M., Barrett, A., Woll-Weber, C. F. J., Fonagy, P., Luyten, P., & Campbell, C. (2026) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1155/da/6172409 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Salvo, G. D., Bianco, M., Teobaldi, E., Maina, G., & Rosso, G. (2022) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina58101335 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Chapter 6. Applications of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy to Specific Disorders
Leichsenring, F., & Steinert, C. (2022) · American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9781615375233.gg06 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Kim, H. G., Cheon, E., & Koo, B. (2016) · Psychoanalysis · doi:10.18529/psychoanal.2016.27.3.81 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Psychodynamic Therapy of Anxiety Disorders
Leichsenring, F., Klein, S., & Salzer, S. (2014) · doi:10.1002/9781118775349.ch42 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
von Humboldt, S. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_88-2 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
von Humboldt, S. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_88
Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy Versus Sertraline in the Treatment of Social Phobia
Moghadam, M. N.-M., Atef-Vahid, M. K., Farid, A. A. A., Shabani, A., & Lavasni, F. (2015) · Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.5812/ijpbs.228
von Humboldt, S. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_88-1
Zajícová, M., Reiley, P., Fiala, L., & Vevera, J. (2022) · E-psychologie · doi:10.29364/epsy.449
Kunz, J., von Korff, C., & Andreas, S. (2024) · PDP – Psychodynamische Psychotherapie · doi:10.21706/pdp-23-2-103
Ophir, Y. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-08920-7 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
A Positive Group Psychotherapy Intervention for Enhancing Mental Health: A Quantitative Study
Eryılmaz, A., Duygu, E. Ö., & Messias, E. (2026) · Psychodynamic Psychiatry · doi:10.1521/pdps.2026.54.1.143
Pasquale, B. G. D., Esmanhotto, B. B., Alves, M. D. O., & Teive, H. A. G. (2026) · Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery · doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2026.109591
25 Jahre und ein ganzes Stück weiser
Loew, T. H., Raab, E., Richter, R., & Tritt, K. (2026) · PDP – Psychodynamische Psychotherapie · doi:10.21706/pdp-25-3-368
- Authors
- Bressi, C., Porcellana, M., Marinaccio, P. M., Nocito, E. P., & Magri, L.
- Affiliations
- University of Milan (IT)
- Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Bressi, Cinzia
- Marinaccio, Paola Marianna
- Nocito, Emanuela Paola
- Magri, Lorenzo
- Venue
- Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease
- Published
- 2010-09
- Volume
- 198
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 647-652
- ISSN
- 0022-3018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1991511591
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- short-term dynamic psychotherapy, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, usual care, interpersonal problems, treatment efficacy, symptom improvement
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Antidepressive Agents, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychotherapy, Brief, Chi-Square Distribution, Treatment Outcome, Patient Selection, Intention to Treat Analysis
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
