Over the past hundred years psychoanalytically based psychotherapy has benefited millions of people. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is of vital interest to most psychoanalysts today. However, clinical research on psychoanalytic psychotherapy has garnered relatively little sustained support from psychoanalysts or The American Psychoanalytic Association.
“Behavioral” health care firms exploit the paucity of studies of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in order to justify authorizing payment only for more superficial, crisis- and symptom-oriented approaches that can be more easily studied in some quantifiable, descriptive fashion. Studies of psychotherapy must have a pathway for publication and dissemination to practitioners.
The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research (JPPR) is an important response to those needs. Founded in 1992 by the American Psychiatric Press, Inc., the journal has published an impressive series of informative articles on psychotherapy.
Practice issues are addressed through historic articles, grand rounds, and other clinical reports. Two members of The American, Jerald Kay and Allan Tasman, are the JPPR's editor and deputy editor, respectively.
The Spring 1996 edition of the journal presents important outcome studies: “Factors in Outcomes of Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy for Chronic vs. non Chronic Major Depression” by Luborsky et al. and “How Much Therapy is Really Enough, a Session-by-Session Analysis of the Psychotherapy Dose-Effect Relationship” by Kadera et al.
Of special interest to analysts is “Current Psychotherapy Research Methodology Applied to Psychoanalysis: A Feasibility Study” by Vaughan et al. (Fall 1994).
The psychotherapy of more severely ill patients has been the subject of articles by Gabbard (“An Overview of Countertransference with Regressed Patients,” Winter 1993); Gunderson, et al. (“Stages of Change in Dynamic Psychotherapy with Borderline Patients,” Winter 1993); Boyer (“Countertransference: Condensed History and Personal View of Issues with Regressed Patients,” Spring 1994); and Plakun (“Principles in the Psychotherapy of Self-Destructive Borderline Patients,” Spring 1994).
Karasu, Sabin, Altshuler, and Michels thoughtfully explored the current and future environments for the practice of psychotherapy in the Winter 1992 and Winter 1993 issues.
A scientific journal cannot survive without subscribers and readers, and a new journal cannot last long on a subsidy from its publisher. In making a vital contribution to the future of psychotherapy practice, The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research needs the support of psychoanalysts as contributors and readers. For further information, call 800-5777.
Norman Clemens is a Fellow of BOPS. He chairs the new Commission on Psychotherapy by Psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association.