title: How does neurobiological research influence psychoanalytic treatments?--Clinical observations and reflections from a study on the interface of clinical psychoanalysis and neuroscience.
abstract: One of the counterarguments against empirical research in psychoanalysis is that research negatively influences the treatment situation. In this paper, the impact of a neurobiological study on psychoanalytically oriented treatments is presented from three different perspectives: patients' views, a study group of participating psychoanalysts and a clinical case example. Twenty chronically depressed patients, 20 healthy controls and 16 psychoanalysts participated in the project on research. Results show a clear influence of the neurobiological study on the course of treatments. Patients consistently reported that study participation had a positive impact on their treatment experiences. However, study participation was conflictual for the psychoanalysts and forced them to carefully reflect on their unconscious and conscious involvement to establish a psychoanalytic stance independent from empirical research.
authors.affiliation: International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Germany. svenja.taubner@ipu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Svenja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taubner
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchheim
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rudyk
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kächele
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009446:Neurobiology / Q000379:methods*; D011572:Psychoanalysis; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012106:Research; D016896:Treatment Outcome