Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy - Evidence Base For ISTDP

Evidence Base For ISTDP

Davanloo's initial research was published in the form of a qualitative case series of approximately 200 patients. He maintains a large video library of treated cases which he uses for teaching conferences. In the future, this library of clinical data may be made available to psychotherapy researchers who can independently verify and quantify Davanloo's claims. He claims efficacy with psychological symptoms, medically unexplained symptoms (so-called functional or somatoform disorders), and characterological disturbances (referred to as Personality Disorders in DSM).

Empirical research into the efficacy of ISTDP, and other brief psychodynamic psychotherapies is active. There are now 19 published outcome studies in ISTDP. These include 7 randomized controlled trials, 10 case series and 2 non randomized controlled trials.

ISTDP has been investigated for:

• Personality Disorders
• Treatment resistant and complex depression
• Panic Disorder
• Headache
• Functional Movement Disorders
• Medically Unexplained Symptoms (Somatization)
• Clinical and cost effectiveness in a private practice setting

There is also a Cochrane systematic review examining the efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapies for common mental disorders. Neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner, Eric Kandel refers to Davanloo's technique and its effectiveness in providing relief from emotional disturbances.