title: The current state of the empirical evidence for psychoanalysis: a meta-analytic approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After participating in this educational activity, the reader should be better able to evaluate the empirical evidence for pre/post changes in psychoanalysis patients with complex mental disorders, and assess the limitations of the meta-analysis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of psychoanalysis is still a controversial issue, despite increasing research efforts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the empirical evidence for psychoanalysis by means of a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of the research data.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was undertaken to find studies regarding the effectiveness of psychoanalysis, published between 1970 and 2011. A meta-analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen studies (total n = 603) were included in the meta-analysis. All but one were pre/post cohort studies. At treatment termination, the mean pre/post effect size across all outcome measures was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.50; p < .01). The mean pre/post effect size for symptom improvement was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.20-1.84; p < .01), and for improvement in personality characteristics 1.08 (95% CI, 0.89-1.26; p < .01). At follow-up the mean pre/follow-up effect size was 1.46 across all outcome measures (95% CI, 1.08-1.83; p < .01), 1.65 for symptom change (95% CI, 1.24-2.06; p < .01), and 1.31 for personality change (95% CI, 1.00-1.62; p < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A limited number of mainly pre/post studies, presenting mostly completers analyses, provide empirical evidence for pre/post changes in psychoanalysis patients with complex mental disorders, but the lack of comparisons with control treatments is a serious limitation in interpreting the results. Further controlled studies are urgently needed.
authors: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Nederlands Psychoanalytisch Instituut, Arkin, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors: Saskia
authors: S
authors: de Maat
authors: Frans
authors: F
authors: de Jonghe
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: de Kraker
authors: Falk
authors: F
authors: Leichsenring
authors: Allan
authors: A
authors: Abbass
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Luyten
authors: Jacques P
authors: JP
authors: Barber
authors: Rien Van
authors: Jack
authors: J
authors: Dekker
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome