Can we do psychoanalytic outcome research? A feasibility study

Despite the widespread use of long-term psychodynamic treatments, methodolo gically rigorous outcome studies have not been conducted. The authors descr ibe the results of a feasibility, Study designed to (I) investigate whether patients in psychodynamic treatment, including psychoanalysis, could be re cruited and retained as research subjects, (2) determine patient and therap ist compliance with self-report measures, rater-administered structured int erviews and session audiotaping and (3) obtain pilot data on changes in the se measures after one year of treatment. Nine patients entering psychoanaly sis and fifteen entering psychodynamic psychotherapy were studied at baseli ne, six months and one year. Major findings were as follows. (1) recruitmen t rates were 27% (psychoanalysis) and 83% (psychotherapy), (2) all patients who reemained in treatment remained in the research protocol, (3) drop-out rates among research participants and non-participants were equivalent, (4 ) current Axis I (usually, affective or anxiety), disorders were found in o ver 60% of patients, (5) Axis II disorders in the absence of current Axis I disorders were rare, (6) despite a small number (N) of participants, signi ficant positive change was demonstrated on a variety of measures after one year. Results suggest that it is possible to demonstrate a therapeutic effe ct of psychodynamic treatments, including psychoanalysis, but changing nega tive clinical perceptions of research is necessary if methodologically rigo rous outcome studies are to be possible in the future.