Clinical trials of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (CBT) for depression are often of poor quality - and are no better than trials of the rival psychodynamic school.
So says a new American Journal of Psychiatry paper that could prove controversial.
CBT is widely perceived as having a better evidence base than other therapies. The "creation myth" of CBT (at least as I was taught it) is that it was invented by a psychoanalyst who got annoyed at the unscientific nature of psychodynamic i.e. Freudian-influenced therapy. CBT has always looked on clinical trials more favorably than the dynamic school.
However, the authors of this meta-analysis found that while there are certainly lots of published CBT trials for depression, they're actually no better quality than the psychodynamic trials.
"Surprisingly" (their word), they found no difference between the CBT for depression trials, and the psychodynamic trials, on a rating score of trial methodology.
Trials ...
