Efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy vs treatment as usual in a sample of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) in comparison with treatment as usual (TAU) in treatment of patients suffering from anxiety and depressive disorders. Sixty patients were recruited from the Psychotherapy Service, University of Milan, Department of Psychiatry, at Milan's IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico with the diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. These subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (STPP) or control group (TAU) for 12 months (T1). Each patient was clinically evaluated at the moment of recruitment (T0) and after 12 months using a battery composed of these scales: Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP). Statistical analysis highlighted significant improvements (p<0.05) for the group treated with STPP in every clinical scale. Instead control group revealed significant changes (p<0.05) only for SCL-90 scale scores. We noticed a clinical improvement in both groups without particular differences, but the IIP scores went through a significant higher enhancement only in STPP group. Our results suggest that STPP is so effective as TAU in treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. Moreover STPP leads to a better recover of relational functioning.