First Experimental Study of Transference Work - In Teenagers (FEST-IT)
Condition: Depression
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The First Experimental Study on Transference work - In Teenagers (FEST-IT) will be a
      randomized clinical trial, which will be designed to explore effects of transference work in
      dynamic psychotherapy in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). The design of the
      study is a so-called dismantling design, in which a single component is added and/or varied
      to an existent treatment method (psychodynamic psychotherapy). Thus, the efficiency of a
      specific technique (transference interventions) can be identified.

      The primary hypothesis is that the transference group may have a more favorable course over
      time than will the comparison group.

      The second hypothesis is that patients with a history of low Quality of Object Relations
      score and/or personality disorders-might benefit more from therapy with transference work
      than from therapy without.

      The third hypothesis is that female adolescents may have better treatment effect of
      transference work than male adolescents.
    

Detailed description: 
      The effect of transference interventions in depressed adolescents and the moderator
      moderating effect of quality of object relations, personality disorder and gender will be
      explored. Methods and study design: The First Experimental Study of Transference Work-In
      Teenagers (FEST-IT) will be a randomized clinical trial with a dismantling design. The study
      is aimed to explore the effects of transference work in psychodynamic psychotherapy for
      adolescents with depression. One hundred patients ages 16 to 18 years old will be randomized
      to one of two treatment groups, in both of which general psychodynamic techniques will be
      used. The quality of adolescents' relationships will be a central focus of the study.The
      patients will be treated over 28 weeks with either a moderate level of transference
      intervention or no transference intervention. Follow-up will be at 1 year after treatment
      termination.

      Gender personality disorder (PD) and quality of object relations (QOR) will be the
      preselected moderators.

      The object of this clinical trial is to explore the effect of transference interventions in
      psychodynamic psychotherapy in adolescents with a major depressive disorder. Using a
      randomized and dismantling design, we hope that the study will add more specific knowledge to
      the evidence base.
    

Intervention name(s): Individual psychodynamic psychotherapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Individual psychodynamic psychotherapy with or without transference work. I.e. with or without relational therapist interventions focusing on the patient-therapist relationship.
Other intervention name(s): Individual PDT; Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; Short-term dynamic psychotherapy; Short-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Transference work; Psychodynamic; Depression; Treatment; Adolescent