Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Functional Somatic Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, 2020, Abbass et al

[Andy]

Introduction: Functional somatic disorders (FSD) are common and costly, thereby driving the need for the development of effective brief treatment options. Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is one candidate treatment method.

Objective: To review and meta-analyze, where possible, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of STPP for FSD. Methods: Following a systematic search of the literature, we performed a meta-analysis of available RCT groups to determine the effects of STPP on a range of outcomes after treatment, and medium- and long-term follow-ups.

Results: In meta-analyses of 17 RCTs, STPP significantly outperformed minimal treatment, treatment as usual, or waiting list controls on somatic symptom measures at all time frames, with small to large magnitude effect sizes. Descriptive reviews of 5 RCTs suggest that STPP performed at least as well as other bona fide psychological therapies. Limitations of this meta-analysis include small samples of studies and possible publication bias.

Conclusions: STPP is a valid treatment option for diverse FSD conditions resulting in somatic symptom reductions that persist over time. STPP should be included in FSD treatment guidelines.

Paywall, https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/507738
Sci hub, https://sci-hub.tw/10.1159/000507738

 

[Sean]

Limitations of this meta-analysis include small samples of studies and possible publication bias.

No methodological shortcomings in those studies?

 

[Arnie Pye]

Introduction: Functional somatic disorders (FSD) are common and costly, thereby driving the need for the development of effective brief cheap treatment options. Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is one candidate treatment method.

Fixed it for the authors.

 

[Trish]

Something is only really cheap if it both costs less and is effective. If it is ineffective it is a waste of the money spent on it, and therefore expensive.

 

[rvallee]

Study: is my pet topic of interest useful?

Results: here's a bunch of cherry-picked arguments for why my pet topic of interest may be useful and why money should be allocated to it

Totally normal that the reaction to the crisis of replicability is basically to just keep lowering the bar and basically giving up on whether any of it is useful, other than to promote a few mediocre careers at the expense of wasting millions of human lives.

Plus, not a single controlled trial in this. Just stop. Words have meaning. Use those words with their intended meaning or go away. And I mean the editors here, who the hell approves of this? All just a bunch of cheap psychological experiments that use the style of science with none of the substance. Enough of this mindless crap.