The scientific standing of psychoanalysis
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This paper summarises the core scientific claims of psychoanalysis and rebuts the prejudice that it is not 'evidence-based'. I address the following questions. (A) How does the emotional mind work, in health and disease? (B) Therefore, what does psychoanalytic treatment aim to achieve? (C) How effective is it?
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Benefits of psychoanalytic therapy endure and effect size may increase over time, reaching up to 1.51 at long-term follow-up.
“Research suggests that the benefits of psychoanalytic therapy not only endure, but its effect size may actually increase over time, reaching up to 1.51 at long-term follow-up (120, 121).”
From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [120]
Psychoanalytic therapy effect sizes range from 0.78 to 1.46, comparable to or exceeding other evidence-based treatments.
“Its effect sizes range from 0.78 to 1.46, comparable to or even exceeding those of other evidence-based treatments (120, 121).”
From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [120]
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Cites
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Panksepp J. (1998) Affective Neuroscience. Oxford University Press.
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Keet, R., de Vetten-Mc Mahon, M., Shields-Zeeman, L., Ruud, T., van Weeghel, J., Bahler, M., Mulder, C. L., van Zelst, C., Murphy, B., Westen, K., et al. (2019) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2162-z · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Corrigan, F. M., & Christie-Sands, J. (2020) · Medical Hypotheses · doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109502 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Albert, A. E., & Back, A. L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1529427 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Solms, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Solms, Mark
- ORCID
- Solms, Mark
- Venue
- BJPsych International
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2018-02
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 5-8
- ISSN
- 2056-4740 (ISSN-L)
- 2058-6264
- PMC
- PMC6020924
- OpenAlex
- W2791177730
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 16.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BJPsych International (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Keywords
- psychoanalysis, scientific validity, evidence-based practice, psychoanalytic treatment, treatment effectiveness, psychoanalytic theory
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