Comparative effects of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: a meta-analysis

In a review of 19 clinically relevant comparative outcome studies published 1978-1988, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) was evaluated as to overall effects, differential effects, and moderating effects vis-à-vis no-treatment controls (NT) and alternative psychotherapies (AP), respectively. Overall, STPP was superior to NT at posttreatment, inferior to AP at posttreatment, and even more so at 1-year follow-up. STPP was inferior to AP in treating depression and, in particular, to cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depression. STPP was equally successful with mixed neurotics. As research quality increased, STPP grew less superior to NT. Furthermore, STPP decreased its overall superiority over NT and increased its overall inferiority to AT on a series of clinically relevant variables. Improvement in research quality from 1978 to 1988 was noted. Evidence, although limited, supported the view that STPP approaches do seem to differ along a few major dimensions.