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Brief dynamic therapy (BDT) is known to be effective for treating depressive symptoms. These researchers in Italy examined the effects of BDT and supportive therapy in outpatients with mild-to-moderate depression.
The 88 patients (27 men; age range, 18–65) had requested psychotherapy, were not taking psychopharmacologic medication, were not suicidal, and had a diagnosis of major depression, dysthymic disorder, depression not otherwise specified, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood. All participants had a focal problem or recent precipitating life event. Patients were randomized to 15 to 30 sessions of emotion-focused BDT or supportive therapy. Both therapies were manual-based.
Treatment groups did not differ significantly in the number of therapy sessions, and both groups improved with treatment. In patients with mild depressive symptoms, the two therapies showed similar efficacy. However, in participants with moderate symptoms, BDT yielded significantly greater improvement in depression and anxiety at the end of treatment and in symptoms and function at 6-month follow-up. The depression remission rate at 6 months in the moderate-depression subgroup was 90.5% for BDT versus 34.8% for supportive therapy, a significant difference.
Rosso G et al. Brief dynamic therapy and depression severity: A single-blind, randomized study. J Affect Disord 2012 Nov 19; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.10.017)
Comment
The patients in this study had a mixture of diagnoses and had focal problems or life events that were presumably driving or contributing to their depressive symptoms. Within this population, brief dynamic therapy was the superior treatment for patients with moderate symptoms. In moderate depression, clinicians may wish to recommend BDT rather than supportive therapy. Research comparisons of BDT with cognitive-behavioral therapy would be useful.