First Experimental Study of Transference-Interpretations (FEST)

Anxiety Disorders Clinical Trial

Official title:

First Experimental Study of Transference Interpretations (FEST)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00423462
• Other study ID #: FEST307/95
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• First received: January 16, 2007
• Last updated: August 24, 2007
• Start date: January 1993
• Est. completion date: December 2005

Study information

• Verified date: August 2007
• Source: University of Oslo
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Norway:National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Analysis of the ongoing patient-therapist interaction, the transference, is considered a key active ingredient in psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.However, one century after Sigmund Freuds's famous "Dora" case, the first clinical description of transference, no study of transference interpretations have been published.In the present study 100 out-patients were randomized to receive one year weekly dynamic psychotherapy, with and without transference interpretations. That is, one treatment component,transference interpretations, were added to a comparison condition, therapy of the same format, by the same therapists, but without use of transference interpretation.

All treatment session were audiotaped, and treatment integrity have been carefully checked. Patients were evaluated at treatment termination, one year after treatment termination and three years after treatment termination. Enrollment of patients started january 1993, and all follow-up evaluations completed by December 2005.

Description:

This study is designed to measure specific long-term effects of transference interpretations in dynamic psychotherapy, using an experimental dismantling design. One hundred psychiatric out-patients, referred to seven study therapists, to receive exploratory dynamic psychotherapy, were randomized to one year weekly dynamic psychotherapy, with and without transference interpretations.They suffered from mood,anxiety,and personality disorders or interpersonal problems not due to a mental disorder. All treatment sessions were audiotaped and treatment integrity carefully checked.All patients have been evaluated before treatment, after treatment, one year after termination of treatment, and three years after termination of treatment. The main outcome measures were the Psychodynamic Functioning Scales (PFS) and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex version (IIP-C).Chang over time is assessed using linear mixed model analyses.

The main hypothesis is that patients treated with transference interpretations will have a more favourable course over the whole study period of four years.

The second hypothesis is that suitable patients, that is patients with a life long pattern of more mature object relations (QOR) and/or patients without comorbid personality disorders will do better with transference interpretations.

Insight and identification with the therapist will be analyzed as putative mediators of long-term change in interpersonal functioning

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 100
• Est. completion date: December 2005
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 20 Years to 60 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 20 - 60 years

• Diagnoses Mood-disorder, non-psychotic

• Anxiety disorders

• Personality disorders

• Interpersonal problems not due to a mental disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychotic disorders

• Bipolar disorder

• Organic brain disorder

• Substance abuse

• Long-term (years) disability

• Mental retardation

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety Disorders
• Disease
• Mood Disorders
• Personality Disorders

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Brief dynamic psychotherapy

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Norway	Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo	Oslo

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Oslo	The Research Council of Norway

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Norway, 

References & Publications (1)

Høglend P, Amlo S, Marble A, Bøgwald KP, Sørbye O, Sjaastad MC, Heyerdahl O. Analysis of the patient-therapist relationship in dynamic psychotherapy: an experimental study of transference interpretations. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;163(10):1739-46. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	The Psychodynamic Functioning Scales (PFS), clinician rated
Primary	Inventory if Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex version (IIP-C), self-report
Secondary	The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF)
Secondary	Global Severity Index (GSI) from SCL-90-R