A randomized prospective study comparing supportive and dynamic therapies. Outcome and alliance

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• Personality disorders, particularly Cluster C, present unique challenges in psychotherapy.
• Brief psychotherapies are increasingly explored for efficiency and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of Brief Supportive Psychotherapy (BSP) against Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (STDP).
• To evaluate treatment outcomes for patients with Cluster C Axis II disorders.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 24 patients treated with BSP and 25 with STDP.
• Manualized 40-session protocols for both therapies, with videotaped sessions.
• Assessment of therapeutic alliance in BSP, correlating it with treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• Both BSP and STDP demonstrated comparable degrees of patient improvement at termination.
• Similar positive outcomes were observed at the 6-month follow-up.
• Therapeutic alliance in BSP was high and stable in good-outcome cases, with more variability in poor-outcome cases.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings suggest that Brief Supportive Psychotherapy (BSP) is an effective treatment for patients with Cluster C personality disorders.
• Supportive psychotherapy can lead to significant and enduring positive changes for many individuals.
• The findings align with existing research supporting the efficacy of supportive psychotherapy approaches.