New developments in the investigation of psychodynamic psychotherapy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Psychodynamic psychotherapy, a field that once lagged behind other areas in psychiatry with regard to empirical studies, has gone through a culture change. Methods of research that were once felt to be, at best, an awkward fit with psychodynamic therapy are being applied with positive results. Major efforts have been made in instrument development, the manualization of therapies, and process and outcome studies. There is also increasing dialogue with other fields, such as neurobiology, reflecting sophisticated attempts to link a psychodynamic understanding of pathology and treatment to physiological underpinnings. This review discusses the large variety of current research efforts and highlights some important recent developments.