[Psychotherapy research--implications for psychiatric treatment]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
• Psychoanalytic Theory
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Psychoanalytic-psychotherapeutic research and outcome studies offer valuable insights into psychiatric routine treatment.
• Personality disorders present complex challenges in treatment, necessitating specialized therapeutic approaches.
• The theory of mentalization provides a framework for understanding and treating these complex conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the impact of psychoanalytic research findings on psychiatric routine treatment.
• To demonstrate the importance of psychoanalytic theory of mentalization for treating personality disorders.
• To confirm the essential role of interpreting dominating effects and transference-relationship dyads in treatment progress.

Main Methods:

• Three naturalistic efficacy studies were conducted to evaluate the psychoanalytic approach.
• Analysis focused on the interpretation of dominating effects and transference-relationship dynamics.
• Empirical data were used to identify necessary interpretative parameters from the treatment's onset.

Main Results:

• Interpretation of dominating effects and transference-relationship dyads was confirmed as crucial for treatment progress.
• Empirical studies underscore the need for early interpretation of affect-regulatory parameters, including hostile-externalizing-dysphoric patterns.
• Acknowledging and training externalizing and projective mechanisms are vital for establishing a stable therapeutic alliance.

Conclusions:

• Psychoanalytic insights, particularly the theory of mentalization, significantly impact psychiatric routine treatment for personality disorders.
• Effective treatment requires early interpretation of affect-regulation and projective mechanisms.
• Training in recognizing these mechanisms is essential for building a strong working alliance with psychiatric patients.