Efficacy of high-intensity versus low-intensity psychoanalytically oriented long-term treatments and determinants of outcome: individual participant data Meta-analysis of Long-term Analytic treatment Studies (MeLAS).

Introduction: Long-term psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychotherapy (LTPP) is a prevalent treatment option for complex mental disorders. Yet, little is known about the role of treatment intensity in LTPP. We present a study protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis aggregating and analysing individual data from randomised and quasi-experimental trials by meta-analysis.

[Results of the pilot project of the Techniker-Krankenkasse "quality monitoring in outpatient psychotherapy" - a commentary by the project's scientific advisory board].

In order to objectify the discussion about a project of the TK, a German health insurance company, which aimed to analyse the effects of a specific quality monitoring system on psychotherapy outcomes, the scientific advisory board summarized the main results of the study. The main results were cited from the final report which confirms the confirmatory character of the study design that aimed to test the hypothesis of the superiority of the quality monitoring system compared to the system of peer review-based approval of therapies. The quality monitoring system represents a complex intervention which is composed of several single intervention elements.

[The project of the Techniker-Krankenkasse: some comments on the results by the project's scientific advisory board].

The Project of the Techniker Krankenkasse compared 2 systems of quality assurance in outpatient psychotherapy, the established peer review system based on qualitative individual case reports and a new model based on psychometric assessment and feed-back systems. In this publication the members of the project advisory board comment on the results and limitations of the study. 400 psychotherapists in private practice participated in a cluster-randomized comparison study, 200 were allocated to the intervention group, and 200 to the control group.

Patterns of interpersonal problems and their improvement in depressive and anxious patients treated with psychoanalytic therapy.

Interpersonal problems were studied in 121 patients treated with psychoanalytic therapy using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. Four characteristic subtypes were identified, which differed in the quality and flexibility of their interpersonal behavior. Independent of the predominant type of interpersonal problems, the psychotherapy treatment led to strong decreases in interpersonal distress and increases in interpersonal differentiation.

[Dimensions of the therapeutic alliance from patients' view--development of the "Skala Therapeutische Allianz-Revised STA-R"].

Studies on the dimensionality of the therapeutic alliance had been conducted by Hatcher et al. factor-analyzing three widely used alliance measures (Helping Alliance Questionnaire, Working Alliance Inventory, California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales) and proposing two additional dimensions (on affects and interpersonal aspects). The present study intended to construct an economic German patient questionnaire on the basis of this preliminary work, which represents relevant dimensions of the therapeutic alliance in an economic way.

[Results of psychoanalytic long-term therapy in specific diagnostic groups: improvement in symptoms and interpersonal relationships].

Objectives: In the present paper, data from four German studies on the efficacy of outpatient psychoanalytic long-term psychotherapy were examined for symptom reduction (SCL-90-R) and reduction of interpersonal problems (IIP-D). Specifically, the research question addressed the efficacy of long-term therapy in specific diagnostic groups and was was compared with that of a parallel group who underwent shorter-term psychodynamic therapy.

Methods: Data from four German studies addressing the efficacy of outpatient psychoanalytic long-term therapy were collected.

[Therapy goals, change of goals and goal attainment in the process of psychoanalytically oriented and behavior long-term therapy--a comparative study from the private practices of insurance-registered psychotherapists].

In a prospective naturalistic design 31 patients with long-term behavior therapy (average 63 treatment hours) and 31 patients with psychoanalytically-oriented long-term therapy (average 185 treatment hours) were compared. All patients were examined by extern interviewers with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis (SCID) before they were included in the study. Only patients that showed DSM-III-R criteria of a depressive or anxiety disorder were included.