psychodynamic research
A snapshot of randomized controlled trials of psychodynamic therapies: growth over time, conditions studied, modalities tested, and geographic spread.
RCTs
Psychodynamic
ISTDP
Clinical scope
Global spread
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Quantity over time
What you’re seeing:
• A clear increase in psychodynamic RCTs across decades.
• Marked acceleration from the mid-1990s onward.
• Particularly dense activity in the last 10–15 years, suggesting a vibrant and expanding empirical base.
Scope: conditions studied
Scope of application:
• Strong representation of depression, personality disorders, and complex comorbidity.
• Multiple somatic/functional conditions (IBS, chronic pain, medically unexplained symptoms) emphasise psychodynamic work in health-psychology interfaces.
• The mix underscores that psychodynamic treatments are tested well beyond a narrow “classic neurosis” niche.
Modalities: interventions
Modalities under the microscope:
• ISTDP and its close kin dominate the RCT landscape.
• Supportive-expressive and other short-term dynamic formats also feature prominently.
• The picture is one of a family of related but distinct psychodynamic approaches tested across diagnoses and settings.
Geographic spread
Where is this work being done?
• Contributions from Scandinavia, the UK, North America, and several European and Middle Eastern countries.
• Smaller but visible presence in Asia and Oceania.
• Overall: psychodynamic RCTs are a genuinely international phenomenon rather than a single-country project.