title: Effectiveness of time-limited psychotherapy for minor psychiatric disorders: randomised controlled trial evaluating immediate v. long-term effects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychotherapy research rarely has studied outcome in the longer term.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of brief group dynamic psychotherapy (BGDP) intervention in patients with minor psychiatric disorders compared with the usual clinical management shortly after treatment termination and to investigate whether intervention would show a differential effect at 2-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were allocated randomly to an experimental or control group. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used as a primary outcome measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on improvement in the GHQ, at termination of treatment the BGDP group showed a significant improvement in 23 out of 42 (54.8%) compared with 11 out of 41 (26.8%) in the clinical management group. The difference in the total improvement rate is 28% (95% C18-48) (chi(2)=6.7; d.f.=1; P=0.009). In contrast, no differential follow-up effects were found between the BGDP and clinical management groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychotherapy appears to have beneficial effects at termination of treatment but the changes attained were not stable.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Botucatu 740, CEP 04023-900, São Paulo, Brazil. blaysl@psiquiatria.epm.br
authors: Sergio Luis
authors: SL
authors: Blay
authors: Jair S
authors: JS
authors: Vel Fucks
authors: Marcia
authors: M
authors: Barruzi
authors: Monica Cristina
authors: MC
authors: Di Pietro
authors: Fabio Leite
authors: FL
authors: Gastal
authors: Alfredo Maluf
authors: AM
authors: Neto
authors: Mateus P
authors: MP
authors: De Souza
authors: Ladislau R U
authors: LR
authors: Glausiusz
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome