Studies consistently demonstrate the effectiveness of psychoanalysis.
Below, I share an excerpt (machine translation) from an article by the British Psychoanalytic Council that refers to this subject.
(original version: https://www.bpc.org.uk/information-support/the-evidence-base/)
There is also evidence that non-psychoanalytic forms of therapy may be effective due to the inclusion of psychoanalytic techniques and processes.
Some of the main research findings demonstrate this:
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy promotes significant long-term outcomes, suggesting that patients who receive psychoanalytic psychotherapy continue to benefit long after therapy has ended.
Long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy (one year or more of treatment) is more effective than shorter forms of therapy for the treatment of complex mental disorders.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy shows particularly promising results in helping people with personality disorders. (…)
A growing body of evidence suggests that psychoanalytic psychotherapy is effective for many common mental disorders, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and substance-related disorders.
Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy are essentially interchangeable terms and, for the purposes of research studies, can be read as such.
Evidence and Research: external links
This list of external links shows some of the research and evidence that has been and continues to be produced. We take no responsibility for the content of external links.
The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families brings together leaders in neuroscience, mental health, social care and education to work collaboratively to improve understanding and practice.
Jonathan Shedler in Scientific American: Knowing Me: What’s Behind Psychoanalysis. Psychodynamic therapy has been caricatured as navel-gazing, but studies show powerful benefits.
Tavistock and Portman Research and Innovation: building the evidence base through collaborative and independent research.
The Single Case Archive compiles clinical, systematic and experimental single-case studies in the field of psychotherapy.
UCL Psychoanalysis Unit: its mission is to break the mould of traditional approaches to psychoanalysis, drawing on the discipline’s ideas to address the challenges of the modern world.
Article from the Psychoanalytic Research Consortium: What Happens in a Psychoanalysis? A View Through the Lens of Analytic Process Scales.
Scientific papers for download
BPC – The Centrality of Research (168 KB PDF)
The purpose of this document is, first, to highlight key areas in the debate around research in the analytic field in general; second, to assert the centrality of research (including evidence-based research) for the development of effective clinical work; and third, to outline some general principles of such an inquiry process.
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Where and How to Find Useful Research (104 KB PDF)
This guide is a short list of practical suggestions offered to the psychodynamic practitioner who, for the benefit of their patients and to promote their own professional development, seeks to access and use research carried out by others.
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Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: What is the Evidence? (373 KB PDF)
Psychoanalysis has a strong and growing evidence base. There is therefore a large number of outcome studies that have alternately examined the effectiveness of short- and long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy and the effectiveness of psychoanalysis for specific conditions.
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Will Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Work for My Patient? (76 KB PDF)
A summary of two recent reviews of the evidence base for psychodynamic psychotherapy.
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E-Library of Key Papers and Book Chapters (360 KB PDF)
E-Library of key papers and book chapters relating to the evidence base for psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
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Making Sense of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (135 KB PDF)
This brochure is an introduction to psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. It does not attempt to describe the numerous individual brands of psychotherapy, but looks at the main approaches and explains what the differences are, what to expect from psychotherapy, and how to find a good therapist.
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Evidence in Support of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (407 KB PDF)
This document distills key evidence regarding the effectiveness of different types of psychodynamic psychotherapy.
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More F.A.Q.
Psychoanalysis is a process for all those who are willing to understand themselves, through a journey of deep reflection on the interaction between their personality and the different dimensions of their lives.
By working with me, you will benefit from an approach focused on helping you develop the authentic parts of yourself, rather than teaching you who you should or should not be, or aiming to make you adapt to what could be considered the norm.