A Comparison of Psychoanalytic Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety (Panic/Agoraphobia) and Personality Disorders (APD Study): Presentation of the RCT Study Design.
OBJECTIVE
Anxiety disorders, most notably panic disorders and agoraphobia, are common mental disorders, and there is a high comorbidity with personality disorders. Randomized controlled trails addressing this highly relevant group of patients are missing.


METHODS
The multicenter Anxiety and Personality Disorders (APD) study investigates 200 patients with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia with comorbid personality disorder in a randomized control-group comparison of psychoanalytic therapy (PT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), including 100 patients in each group. Each patient will be examined over a period of six years, regardless of the duration of the individual treatment. The main issues that are addressed in this study are the comparison of the efficacy of PT and CBT in this special patient population, the comparison of the sustainability of the effects of PT and CBT, the comparison of the long-term cost-benefit-ratios of PT and CBT as well as the investigation of prescriptive patient characteristics for individualized treatment recommendations (differential indication).


CONCLUSIONS
The APD study compares efficacy, sustainability, and cost-benefit-ratios of CBT and PT for anxiety plus personality disorders in a randomized controlled trail. The study design meets the requirements for an efficacy study for PT, which were recently defined.


BACKGROUND
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN12449681.
Department of Psychology University of Kassel Holländische Straße 36-38 D-34127 Kassel Germany Department of Psychology of the University of Kassel.
Cord
C
Benecke
International Psychoanalytic University Berlin Stromstraße 1 10555 Berlin Germany http://www.ipu-berlin.de/|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Klinikum München-Harlaching Sanatoriumspl. 2 81545 München Germany https://www.klinikum-muenchen.de/abteilungen/harlaching/psychosomatik-psychotherapie/|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine Technical University Munich Germany http://www.psychosomatik.mri.tum.de/
Dorothea
D
Huber
University of Applied Sciences Potsdam FHP Kiepenheuerallee 5 14469 Potsdam Germany https://www.fh-potsdam.de/
Hermann
H
Staats
Psychologische Hochschule Berlin Am Köllnischen Pk. 2 10179 Berlin Germany http://www.psychologische-hochschule.de/
Johannes
J
Zimmermann
Department of Psychology University of Kassel Holländische Straße 36-38 D-34127 Kassel Germany Department of Psychology of the University of Kassel.
Miriam
M
Henkel
International Psychoanalytic University Berlin Stromstraße 1 10555 Berlin Germany http://www.ipu-berlin.de/
Heinrich
H
Deserno
University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf Department of Child andAdolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Martinistraße 52 Gebäude: O25 D-20246 Hamburg Deutschland Department of Child andAdolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf.
Silke
S
Wiegand-Grefe
Clinic for General Internal Medicine, and Psychosomatics University Hospital Heidelberg University Hospital Heidelberg 69120 Heidelberg Germany https://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Willkommen.1088.0.html.
Henning
H
Schauenburg
D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy
Anxiety Disorder; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Personality Disorder; Psychoanalytic Therapy; Randomized Controlled Trail