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The difficulties in conducting psychodynamic psychotherapy research are well documented. More recent meta-analyses have demonstrated clear benefits; however, it has been argued that naturalistic studies are of more direct relevance to clinical services. UK National Health Services (NHS) provide psychodynamic psychotherapy within psychiatric settings for heterogeneous and generally complex patient populations. Much of the psychodynamic psychotherapy is provided by trainee psychiatrists who rarely have prior experience of delivering such therapy, but who are supervised by senior staff. Our naturalistic outcome study uses both quantitative and qualitative methodology, and describes a symptomatic-ally and functionally impaired patient group (n = 384) deriving significant and clinically meaningful benefit from their therapy. Patient satisfaction and perceived change were positively correlated with each other and with symptomatic improvement. Patients' descriptive comments provided additional rich information, most commonly describing a positive outcome for therapy and the belief that therapy was too short. This study complements more formal research showing that psychodynamic psychotherapy is efficacious in outpatient settings.
DR ANNE WARD is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy at the Southwark and Central Integrated Psychological Therapies Team, Maudsley Hospital. She trained in NHS psychotherapy at the Maudsley Psychotherapy Service. Her special interest is in perinatal psychotherapy. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Psychoanalysis. Address for correspondence: Southwark & Central IPTT, OPD Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ. []
DR BARBARAWOOD is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy at the Southwark and Central Integrated Psychological Therapies Team, Maudsley Hospital. She trained in NHS psychotherapy at the Maudsley Psychotherapy Service. She is Trust Psychotherapy Tutor and Programme Director for Psychotherapy, and has a special interest in psychotherapy for young adults.
DR MASUD AWAL is a Psychiatric Specialty Registrar in Psychotherapy at the Specialist Psychotherapies Service at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.