ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the research evidence for psychodynamic psychotherapy, and how it compares with other therapeutic modalities. In medical and psychotherapy research, such research evidence is typically collected through studies known as randomised control trials (or RCTs). In 2010, Jonathan Shedler published an important review on the efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy in the American Psychologist journal. Shedler cites a number of published meta-analyses on different treatments for various mental health problems. There are several caveats that need to be considered, which Shedler flags in his article. Most recently in 2019, findings from the first randomised control trial for Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), a brief-term psychodynamic psychotherapy were published. Many do not enter the profession because of a stated scientific interest in their practice, rather they have an empathic curiosity about human behaviour and a wish to help patients with their distress.
