Medication use in training cases: a survey

Though the introduction of psychotropic medication for the treatment of depression and anxiety was first greeted by the psychoanalytic community with overt opposition, in recent years the belief that medication and psychoanalysis are incompatible is being reconsidered. A study at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research showed that in 29% of candidate training cases medication was used in combination with psychoanalysis. In most cases the indication for medication was a diagnosis of depression, and an antidepressant was prescribed. The implication of these data with respect to the impact of medication on analytic process and candidate training is discussed.