Clinical Research Supporting Treatment Effectiveness

Among the most important questions people have regarding treatment is, “Does this treatment work?” As you can imagine, this is a very complex question due to the many variables that contribute to whether a person experiences a good outcome. Some of these variables include the treatment approach, the quality of the treatment relationship, the nature of the problem being treated, and a person’s motivation to improve, among others. Additionally, when a treatment outcome study concludes, for example, that anxiety scores were reduced with therapy, it is important to examine the follow-up period. We feel more confident if the improvement is sustained over time. Another consideration when evaluating a study is the selection of patients. For example, a narrowly selected group of patients, where all complexity is removed, may not generalize to a more common reality where individuals often have multiple symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and poor coping behaviors. This topic is both rich and important, as all patients and treatment providers ultimately want a treatment that is both helpful and healing in the most time-efficient way.

Attached is a summary of research supporting Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Therapy, a form of therapy I use. This list has been generously compiled by Dr. Allan Abbass. In summary, this form of therapy is highly effective with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and substance use disorders, and somatic disorders (physical symptoms in the body that do not have a known organic physical cause).