ON THE EMPIRICAL FOUNDATION OF THE HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT SUPERIORITY OF THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL COMPARED WITH THE PSYCHOANALYTICALLY ORIENTEDPSYCHOTHERAPIES

In the last years, Grawe et al. published the results of their meta-an alysis which seemed to show the superiority of the cognitive-behaviora l compared with the psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapies. A re- analysis of the 22 studies which compare the effects of both psychothe rapies proves the empirical foundation of this meta-analysis. The resu lts show that (1) only few psychotherapies labeled as psychoanalytical ly oriented consist of such therapies, (2) only few therapists are tra ined and experienced in the methods they conducted, (3) the patients t reated with individual therapy attended an average of only 19,7 sessio ns, and (4) mainly, the patient groups are homogenous concerning the s ymptoms, and the measuring instruments are oriented at these symptoms. Therefore, the cognitive-behavioral therapies are systematically pref erred. The results of the re-analysis indicate that the selection of s tudies does not allow such extensive conclusions about the superiority of the cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies.