The contemporary psychoanalytic literature focused primarily upon "analyzability" was systematically reviewed. We found that most studies are clinical in nature. Within the

past quarter-century new trends have appeared; these include a distinction between "indications" and "suitability," increasing stress on object relations and character qualities, and the application of quantitative methods to investigation. We also found considerable agreement regarding the qualities deemed to make a person a suitable candidate for psychoanalysis, i.e., the better the pretreatment level of personality organization, the more favorable the prospect. The findings of individual studies, however, are cast largely in abstract, metapsychological terms lacking empirical specification. Most investigations also do not clearly specify what is meant by psychoanalysis, analyzability, outcome, or upon what evidences conclusions are based. We hope that future investigators will find ways of addressing these problems.