First Experimental Study of Transference-Interpretations (FEST)
Condition: Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Personality Disorders
MeSH terms: Anxiety Disorders; Personality Disorders; Mood Disorders
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3

Summary: 
      Analysis of the ongoing patient-therapist interaction, the transference, is considered a key
      active ingredient in psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.However,
      one century after Sigmund Freuds's famous "Dora" case, the first clinical description of
      transference, no study of transference interpretations have been published.In the present
      study 100 out-patients were randomized to receive one year weekly dynamic psychotherapy, with
      and without transference interpretations. That is, one treatment component,transference
      interpretations, were added to a comparison condition, therapy of the same format, by the
      same therapists, but without use of transference interpretation.

      All treatment session were audiotaped, and treatment integrity have been carefully checked.
      Patients were evaluated at treatment termination, one year after treatment termination and
      three years after treatment termination. Enrollment of patients started january 1993, and all
      follow-up evaluations completed by December 2005.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study is designed to measure specific long-term effects of transference interpretations
      in dynamic psychotherapy, using an experimental dismantling design. One hundred psychiatric
      out-patients, referred to seven study therapists, to receive exploratory dynamic
      psychotherapy, were randomized to one year weekly dynamic psychotherapy, with and without
      transference interpretations.They suffered from mood,anxiety,and personality disorders or
      interpersonal problems not due to a mental disorder. All treatment sessions were audiotaped
      and treatment integrity carefully checked.All patients have been evaluated before treatment,
      after treatment, one year after termination of treatment, and three years after termination
      of treatment. The main outcome measures were the Psychodynamic Functioning Scales (PFS) and
      Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex version (IIP-C).Chang over time is assessed
      using linear mixed model analyses.

      The main hypothesis is that patients treated with transference interpretations will have a
      more favourable course over the whole study period of four years.

      The second hypothesis is that suitable patients, that is patients with a life long pattern of
      more mature object relations (QOR) and/or patients without comorbid personality disorders
      will do better with transference interpretations.

      Insight and identification with the therapist will be analyzed as putative mediators of
      long-term change in interpersonal functioning
    

Intervention name(s): Brief dynamic psychotherapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Psychotherapy; Long-term effects