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Does Psychoanalysis or Psychodynamic Therapy Actually Work?
There is a common misconception around the world that there is no real evidence that psychoanalysis or psychodynamic psychotherapy actually works. However, this notion is incorrect. In fact, in the past decade or more, an ever-growing body of evidence has shown that psychodynamic therapy (PDT) and psychoanalysis reduce symptoms as effectively as other treatments, and in some cases the evidence even suggests that the benefits of PDT are more durable than other treatments.
This list points you to work that highlights the research on whether — and, in some cases, how — psychoanalysis and psychodynamic are effective. See below for most of the reviews and meta-analyses on PDT and psychoanalysis that have been published to date.
Last updated: 23/2/2024
Note: the links provided in this list go to the “version of record,” and may require subscriptions in many cases. Due to copyright rules, we are unable to provide the PDFs of most of these papers. If you would like to recommend additional readings, have PDFs that are authorized for public sharing, or wish to make any suggestions for revisions, please email Dr Ross Balchin at rbalchin@npsa-association.org.
Randomized controlled trials Reviews Meta-analyses
A comprehensive compilation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving psychodynamic treatments (PDT) can be found here. Many thanks to Assistant Professor Peter Lilliengren of the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University for this fantastic resource.
Books
Leuzinger-Bohleber, M., & Kächele, H. (2015). An Open Door Review of Outcome and Process Studies in Psychoanalysis (3rd Ed.). London: International Psychoanalytic Association. http://www.ipa.world/ipa/IPA_Docs/Open%20Door%20Review%20III.pdf
Journal articles and book chapters
Abbass, A.A., Nowoweiski, S.J., Bernier, D., Tarzwell, R., & Beutel, M.E. (2014). Review of psychodynamic psychotherapy neuroimaging studies. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 83, 142–147. http://doi.org/10.1159/000358841
Abbass, A.A., Kisely, S.R., Town, J.M., Leichsenring, F., Driessen, E., De Maat, S., Gerber, A., Dekker, J., Rabung, S., Rusalovska, S., & Crowe, E. (2014). Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapies for common mental disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev., 7, CD004687. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004687.pub4/full
Barber, J.P., Muran, J.C., McCarthy, K.S., & Keefe, R.J. (2013). Research on Psychodynamic Therapies. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (6th ed.) (pp. 443-494). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To view this chapter, please click here
Fonagy, P. (2015). The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: an update. World Psychiatry, 14, 137–150. To view a downloadable PDF of this reading list, please click here
Høglend, P. (2014). Exploration of the patient-therapist relationship in psychotherapy. Am J Psychiatry, 171, 1056–1066. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14010121
Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Hilsenroth, M.J., Abbass, A., Barber, J.P., Keefe, J.R., Leweke, F., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2015). Psychodynamic therapy meets evidence-based medicine: a systematic review using updated criteria. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 648–660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00155-8
Leichsenring, F., Leweke, F., Klein, S., & Steinert, C. (2015). The empirical status of psychodynamic psychotherapy – An update: Bambi’s alive and kicking. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84, 129–148. http://doi.org/10.1159/000376584
Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2015). The neurobiology of mentalizing. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 6, 366-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/per0000117
Luyten, P., & Blatt, S.J. (2012). Psychodynamic treatment of depression. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 35, 111–129. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2012.01.001
Midgley, N., & Kennedy, E. (2011). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents: a critical review of the evidence base. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 37, 232–260. http://doi.org/10.1080/0075417X.2011.614738
Palmer, R., Nascimento, L., & Fonagy, P. (2013). The state of the evidence base for psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 22, 149–214. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2012.12.001
Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65, 98–109. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0018378
Society members with subscriptions to Neuropsychoanalysis can click below to get journal access. (Note: This is a different username and password than the one for this website. Need a reminder? Email us at society@npsa-association.org.)
Abbass, A.A., Rabung, S., Leichsenring, F., Refseth, J.S., & Midgley, N. (2013). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of short-term psychodynamic models. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52, 863–875. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.014
Abbass, A., Kisely, S., & Kroenke, K. (2009). Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for somatic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Psychother Psychosom, 78, 265–274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159%2F000228247
Abbass, A., Town, J., & Driessen, E. (2011). The efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for depressive disorders with comorbid personality disorder. Psychiatry, 74, 58–71. http://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2011.74.1.58
Barber, J.P., Muran, J.C., McCarthy, K.S., & Keefe, R.J. (2013). Research on Psychodynamic Therapies. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (6th ed.) (pp. 443-494). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To view this chapter, please click here
de Maat, S., de Jonghe, F., de Kraker, R., Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Luyten, P., & Dekker, J. (2013). The current state of the empirical evidence for psychoanalysis: a meta-analytic approach. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 21, 107–137. To view this article please click here or here
Driessen, E., Hegelmaier, L.M., Abbass, A.A., Barber, J.P., Dekker, J.J., Van, H.L., Jansma, E.P., & Cuijpers, P. (2015). The efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression: A meta-analysis update. Clinical Psychology Review, 42, 1–15. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.07.004
Keefe, R.J., McCarthy, K.S., Dinger, U., Zilcha-Mano, S., & Barber, J. P. (2014). A meta-analytic review of psychodynamic therapies for anxiety disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 309-323. .http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2014.03.004
Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Luyten, P., Hilsenroth, M., & Rabung, S. (2013). The emerging evidence for long-term psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 41, 361–84. https://dx.doi.org/10.1521%2Fpdps.2013.41.3.361
Leichsenring, F., & Rabung, S. (2011). Long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy in complex mental disorders: update of a meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199, 15-22. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/1/15
Leichsenring, F., & Rabung, S. (2008). Effectiveness of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. JAMA, 300, 1551-65. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1028649
Leichsenring, F., Rabung, S., & Leibing, E. (2004). The efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy in specific psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 1208-1216. http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=482102
Town, J.M., Diener, M.J., Abbass, A., Leichsenring, F., Driessen, E., & Rabung, S. (2012). A meta-analysis of psychodynamic psychotherapy outcomes: Evaluating the effects of research-specific procedures. Psychotherapy, 49, 276-290. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0029564
Society members with subscriptions to Neuropsychoanalysis can click below to get journal access. (Note: This is a different username and password than the one for this website. Need a reminder? Email us at society@npsa-association.org.)