First Experimental Study of Transference-Interpretations (FEST)

Official Title: “First Experimental Study of Transference Interpretations (FEST)”

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.

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

Intervention(s) in this Clinical Trial

• Behavioral: Brief dynamic psychotherapy

Primary Measures

• The Psychodynamic Functioning Scales (PFS), clinician rated
• Inventory if Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex version (IIP-C), self-report

Secondary Measures

• The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF)
• Global Severity Index (GSI) from SCL-90-R

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

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 20 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: 60 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: No

Lead Investigator: University of Oslo Other

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

Per Høglend, M.D. Ph. D. Principal Investigator Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Unoversity of Oslo  

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on February 02, 2012

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00423462

Study ID Number: FEST307/95

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00423462

Health Authority: Norway: The National Committees for Research Ethics in Norway