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The following is a summary of “Comparative effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for major depression in psychiatric outpatient clinics: a randomized controlled trial,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Psychiatry by Malkomsen et al. 

More low-bias studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) for major depressive disorder (MDD). This study compares their outcomes, focusing on effect sizes, reliable change, dropout rates, and remission rates. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing the effectiveness of CBT and STPP for MDD. 

They randomly allocated 100 patients to CBT or STPP. CBT involved 16 weekly sessions followed by 3 monthly booster sessions, while STPP included 28 weekly sessions. Primary outcomes were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Secondary outcomes included the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and Short Form Health Survey-12 (SF-12). 

The results showed no significant differences between the 2 treatment groups on any measure. Within-group effects were large (>0.8) for primary outcomes and moderate to large for secondary outcomes. According to the reliable change index, 79% of patients reliably improved on HDRS and 76% on BDI-II, while 6% and 10% reliably deteriorated, respectively. 

Investigators concluded that CBT and STPP were equally effective treatments for depressive disorders in psychiatric outpatient clinics. The findings also highlighted that not all patients with depression responded to short-term treatment. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06544-6