The use of psychodynamic understanding of psychotic states: delineating need-specific approaches

During the last decade, evidence-based knowledge regarding psychodynamic treatments for psychosis has been increasingly regarded as nonexistent (Lehmann et al. 1998; Mueser and Berenbaum 1989). Negative findings in chronic schizophrenic states (McGlashan 1984) and the lack of studies of carefully-adapted treatments of acute psychoses have contributed to such attitudes. In contrast, we have increasing knowledge about the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapies in both acute and chronic psychotic states. Since negative attitudes about dynamically-based therapies do not agree with the experiences of many pragmatically working clinicians, these attitudes need to be confronted and fresh research conducted.