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Controversies and critical comments

Falk Leichsenring

4. Juli 2024

Controversies and critical comments on psychodynamic therapy

Controversies and critical comments on the efficacy of PDT

Several critical comments addressed the empirical status of PDT, focusing on

  • the „gold standard” of psychotherapy (Leichsenring & Steinert, 2017)

  • a critical discussion of guidelines (e.g. NICE) (Leichsenring et al., 2023)

  • bias in research(Leichsenring et al., 2017)

  • bias against psychodynamic therapy (Abbass et al., 2017)

  • specific issues (e.g.Heim et al., 2023; Leichsenring & Leibing, 2007; Leichsenring et al., 2019; Leichsenring, Luyten, Abbass, Rabung, et al., 2021; Leichsenring, Luyten, Abbass, & Steinert, 2021; Leichsenring et al., 2022; Leichsenring & Rabung, 2011; Leichsenring et al., 2011; Leichsenring et al., 2010, 2015; Leichsenring et al., 2016; Munder et al., 2019; Steinert & Leichsenring, 2017)

  • critical comments on the APA designation of empirically supported therapies(Sakaluk et al., 2019)

  • The WHO treatment guideline for Mental Disorders ( Leichsenring, Abbass, Fonagy, Levy,  Lilliengren, Luyten, Midgley,  Milrod, Steinert (in press). Lancet Psychiatry

  • Abbass, A., Luyten, P., Steinert, C., & Leichsenring, F. (2017, Sep). Bias Toward Psychodynamic Therapy: Framing the Problem and Working Toward a Solution. J Psychiatr Pract, 23(5), 361-365. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRA.0000000000000256

  • Heim, N., Abbass, A., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., Steinert, C., & Leichsenring, F. (2023, Jun). Contradictions, methodological flaws, and potential for misinterpretations in ranking treatments of depression. Bipolar Disorders, 25(4), 335-336. https://doi.org/10.1111/bdi.13323

  • Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Hilsenroth, M. J., Leweke, F., Luyten, P., Keefe, J. R., Midgley, N., Rabung, S., Salzer, S., & Steinert, C. (2017, Apr). Biases in research: risk factors for non-replicability in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy research. Psychological Medicine, 47(6), 1000-1011. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329171600324X

  • Leichsenring, F., & Leibing, E. (2007). Fair play, please ! - Letter to the editor. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 80.

  • Leichsenring, F., Liliengren, P., Lindqvist, K., Mechler, J., Falkenstom, F., Philips, B., Steinert, C., & Abbass, A. (2019, Jun). Inadequate Reporting of a Randomized Trial Comparing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy for Depression. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 207(6), 421-422. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000986

  • Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Abbass, A., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2021, Feb). Treatment of depression in children and adolescents. Lancet Psychiatry, 8(2), 96-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30492-2

  • Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Abbass, A., & Steinert, C. (2021, Dec). Psychodynamic therapy of depression. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55(12), 1202-1203. https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674211031481

  • Leichsenring, F., Luyten, P., Abbass, A., & Steinert, C. (2022, Sep). In Reply: Psychodynamic therapy of depression. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 56(9), 1202-1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674221108637

  • Leichsenring, F., & Rabung, S. (2011). Double standards in psychotherapy research. Psychother Psychosom, 80(1), 48-51; author reply 53-44. https://doi.org/10.1159/000315365

  • Leichsenring, F., Salzer, S., Hilsenroth, M., Leibing, E., Leweke, F., & Rabung , S. (2011). Treatment integrity: An unresolved issue in psychotherapy research. Curr Psych Rev, 7 313-321.

  • Leichsenring, F., Salzer, S., & Leibing, E. (2010, Jan). Drs. Leichsenring, Salzer, and Leibing Reply. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(1), 104-105. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09091264r

  • Leichsenring, F., Salzer, S., & Leibing, E. (2015, Apr). Response to Hofmann et al [Comment

  • Letter]. American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(4), 393-394. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14101347r

  • Leichsenring, F., & Steinert, C. (2017, Oct 10). Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?: The Need for Plurality in Treatment and Research. JAMA, 318(14), 1323-1324. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.13737

  • Leichsenring, F., Steinert, C., & Hoyer, J. (2016). Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy of Depression: What's the Evidence? Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, 62(2), 190-195. https://doi.org/10.13109/zptm.2016.62.2.190

  • Leichsenring, F., Steinert, C., Rost, F., Abbass, A., Heim, N., & Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2023, Feb). A critical assessment of NICE guidelines for treatment of depression. World Psychiatry, 22(1), 43-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21039

  • Munder, T., Fluckiger, C., Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A. A., Hilsenroth, M. J., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., Steinert, C., & Wampold, B. E. (2019, Jun). Is psychotherapy effective? A re-analysis of treatments for depression. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci, 28(3), 268-274. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796018000355

  • Sakaluk, J. K., Kilshaw, R. E., Williams, A. J., & Rhyner, K. T. (2019). Evaluating the evidential value of empirically supported psychological treatments (ESTs): A meta-scientific review. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128, 500-509. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/pzbhw

  • Steinert, C., & Leichsenring, F. (2017, May 13). No psychotherapy monoculture for anxiety disorders [Letter]. Lancet, 389(10082), 1882-1883. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31206-0

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