Research on psychotherapy. Results from a study of psychiatric clinics in Germany

This paper concerns advances in the integration of psychotherapy in psychia tric education and clinical practice and whether they go along with increas ing research activities. To find answers, a survey on psychotherapy researc h was carried out in all German psychiatric hospitals and departments by me ans of a questionnaire. The results indicate that psychotherapy research is done nearly exclusively in university hospitals. About half of them had al ready published psychotherapy studies and two thirds of them are presently carrying out studies, mostly including prospective, randomized clinical tri als. These studies cover the whole spectrum of psychiatric disorders: subst ance abuse,schizophrenic and affective disorders, anxiety,and obsessive com pulsive and personality disorder;. To improve psychotherapy research condit ions further, efforts are necessary to increase scientific exchange, financ ial support,and the integration of institutions outside the universities.