Search

Supportive psychotherapy occurs in almost every doctor-patient encounter and is the psychotherapeutic treatment provided to the vast majority of patients who are seen by residents and fellows in psychiatric clinics and mental health centers, yet very few scholarly articles are written that help explain its principles or how it works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child trafficking continues to be underreported due to multiple factors including differences in state laws, lack of a centralized database, and overall under-recognition. The care of such youth often entails forensic as well as significant clinical considerations given their traumatization. We report on our experience with a 14-year-old female who presented to an Emergency Department (ED), brought in by law enforcement after her parents filed a missing person report in a different state, with concerns about human trafficking; the patient expressed suicidal ideation in our ED. The patient was placed under involuntary hold, after obtaining collateral from the her parents. During the hospitalization, legal challenges presented barriers to safe discharge and a need to collaborate for providing care between disciplines and across state lines. At the same time, through validation and support in the therapeutic milieu of an adolescent psychiatric unit, she was able to understand that she had just survived sexual assault and began to process the impact of it. Although no medication changes were made, the patient began to develop insight at the time of discharge to the Child Protective Team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Time to therapy response for body dysmorphic disorder has not yet been examined. • This study compared cognitive behavioral therapy to supportive psychotherapy for BDD. • Most clients with BDD need 11 therapy sessions or more for a first treatment response. • Treatment response was earlier for CBT for BDD than for supportive psychotherapy. • For some therapy clients, 21 or even more sessions may be required. Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective for individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD); however, time to treatment response for different treatments have not yet been examined. We randomized 120 patients to either weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or supportive psychotherapy (SPT) at two academic medical research centers. In this secondary data analysis, we aimed to determine the time to first response (30% or greater reduction in BDD symptom severity) in both treatment conditions among those who attended at least one post-baseline assessment (n = 109). As previously reported, CBT for BDD was associated with more consistent improvement in symptom severity and quality of life than SPT. In a pooled analysis combining both sites, the median time to first response was shorter for CBT (76 days [10.9 weeks], 95% CI: 76-107 days) than for SPT (88 days [12.6 weeks], 95% CI: 88–nonestimable days; Χ2 df=1 = 3.85, p =.0498). For CBT, the estimated 75th percentile response times were 148 days [21.1 weeks] at site 1 and 134 days [19.1 weeks] at site 2. Response times were not estimable for SPT at either site because the response rate was too low. Thus, therapy clients seeking treatment for BDD and clinicians should be aware that an initial treatment response requires more than 11 therapy sessions for the majority of clients, and that 21 or even more sessions may be required. Treatment response is likely to occur earlier with CBT for BDD (the first-line therapy for BDD) than with supportive psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are regarded as highly effective treatments for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Therapists appreciate robust research supporting the efficacy of these evidenced-based treatments and the structure of the tools these therapies provide for effective intervention. Less has been written on supportive psychotherapeutic techniques and few of those writings provide instruction or tools for therapists who wish to strengthen their skills in this therapeutic approach. This article describes The Art of Holding Perinatal Women in Distress?, a model of perinatal treatment developed by Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW. Kleiman instructs therapists to incorporate six ?Holding Points? into their approach to therapeutic assessment and intervention for the purpose of establishing a holding environment conducive to the release of authentic suffering. This article reviews the Holding Points and provides a case study that elucidates how the holding points function within the context of a therapy session.

Introduction: Different psychotherapeutic interventions for late-life depression (LLD) have been proposed, but their evaluation in large, multicenter trials is rare. Objective: The present study evaluated the efficacy of a specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for LLD (LLD-CBT) in comparison with a supportive unspecific intervention (SUI), both administered in a specialist psychiatric outpatient setting. Methods: In this randomized, controlled, parallel group trial, we recruited participants (≥60 years) with moderate to severe depression at 7 trial sites in Germany. Participants were randomly assigned to the LLD-CBT or SUI group. The primary outcome was depression severity at the end of treatment measured by change on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Secondary outcomes included change in observer-rated depression, anxiety, sleep ratings, and quality of life throughout the treatment phase and at 6-month follow-up. Results: Between October 1, 2018, and November 11, 2020, we randomly assigned 251 patients to either LLD-CBT (n = 126) or SUI (n = 125), of whom 229 provided primary-outcome data. There was no significant between-group difference in the change in GDS scores at the end of treatment (estimated marginal mean difference: −1.01 [95% CI: −2.88 to 0.86]; p = 0.287). Secondary analyses showed significant improvements in several outcomes after 8 weeks and at follow-up in both treatment arms. Conclusions: Our data suggest that LLD-specific CBT and a supportive unspecific treatment both provide clinical benefit in patients with moderate to severe LLD without evidence for superiority of LLD-CBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe and undertreated condition. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the first-line psychosocial treatment for this common disorder, how the intervention works is insufficiently understood. Specific pathways have been hypothesized, but only one small study has examined the precise nature of treatment effects of CBT, and no prior study has examined the effects of supportive psychotherapy (SPT). Methods: This study re-examined a large trial (n = 120) comparing CBT to SPT for BDD. Network intervention analyses were used to explore symptom-level data across time. We computed mixed graphical models at multiple time points to examine relative differences in direct and indirect effects of the two interventions. Results: In the resulting networks, CBT and SPT appeared to differentially target certain symptoms. The largest differences included CBT increasing efforts to disengage from and restructure unhelpful thoughts and resist BDD rituals, while SPT was directly related to improvement in BDD-related insight. Additionally, the time course of differences aligned with the intended targets of CBT; cognitive effects emerged first and behavioral effects second, paralleling cognitive restructuring in earlier sessions and the emphasis on exposure and ritual prevention in later sessions. Differences in favor of CBT were most consistent for behavioral targets. Conclusions: CBT and SPT primarily affected different symptoms. To improve patient care, the field needs a better understanding of how and when BDD treatments and treatment components succeed. Considering patient experiences at the symptom level and over time can aid in refining or reorganizing treatments to better fit patient needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Background: Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood in which adolescents experience many changes, and their reactions to these changes are different. One of the maladaptive behaviors in this regard is aggression, which has long been the focus of many interventions. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of supportive psychotherapy on reducing physical aggression in male adolescents Methods and Materials: In this study, a single case method with an A-B design was used. The statistical population included male adolescents aged 12-18 who were referred to the social emergency center with symptoms of chronic aggression during the first six months of 2020, of whom three were selected by purposive sampling. After three baseline sessions, the intervention sessions began, and a supportive psychotherapy package was administered for eight sessions of 45 minutes per week. Two follow-up sessions were held two weeks and one month after the intervention, and the results were evaluated. The data were collected by the Physical Aggression subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire (1). Findings: A stable change index and recovery percentage were used to test the research hypothesis. Based on the overall recovery percentage of the three samples after treatment (42.77) and follow-up (48.02), it was concluded that supportive psychotherapy was effective in reducing physical aggression in adolescents. Conclusions: Supportive psychotherapy was effective in reducing aggression in male adolescents. This treatment controls aggressive behaviors by increasing self-confidence and awareness of the strengths and weaknesses.

Zusammenfassung: Anliegen dieser Arbeit ist es, mittels explorativer Auswertungen verschiedene Verlaufstypen bipolarer Störungen und den damit verbundenen Merkmalen zu differenzieren und dabei insbesondere die Rolle von Bipolar-1- und Bipolar-2-Störung sowie den Einfluss der rezidivprophylaktischen Interventionen im Rahmen einer randomisierten, kontrollierten Therapiestudie zu klären. Es konnten 274 der ursprünglich 305 eingeschlossenen Personen untersucht werden. Patienten nahmen entweder an einer kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen (SEKT) oder unterstützenden, patientenzentrierten (FEST) Gruppentherapie teil, welche sich über 4 Therapietage (entspricht 16 Doppelstunden) in monatlichem Abstand erstreckte. Depressive und manische Symptomatik wurde anhand des LIFE jeweils für die zurückliegenden 6 Monate bezogen auf jede Woche vor und nach der Interventionsphase sowie 6 und 12 Monate katamnestisch beurteilt. Die Effekte beider Gruppentherapien erwiesen sich als vergleichbar. Statistisch signifikant wurden in einem multivariaten Proportional-Hazards-Modell jedoch der Faktor Bipolar 1 und 2 sowie die Interaktion von Therapie mit Bipolar 1 und 2. Insbesondere profitierten Bipolar-2-Patienten von der SEKT-Intervention deutlich schlechter als von FEST. Es ergaben sich 3 Cluster, die Bipolar 1 (SEKT, keine Komorbidität, mehrheitlich keine Rezidive, jüngere Patienten) von Bipolar 2 (FEST, keine Komorbidität, mindestens 1, oft 2 Rezidive, ältere Patienten) und von einer heterogenen Gruppe (beide Interventionen, Komorbidität) trennten. Die Unterscheidung von Bipolar-1- und Bipolar-2-Störung ist wichtig und bislang unzureichend berücksichtigt. Bipolar-2-Störungen zeigen generell einen schlechten Verlauf und sprechen auf eine kognitive Verhaltenstherapie (SEKT) besonders schlecht an. Eine offene, unstrukturierte, unterstützende, patientenzentrierte Psychotherapie (FEST) ist generell wirksam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based supportive psychotherapy on posttraumatic growth, resilience, and self-compassion of the cancer patients. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted as a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up inquiry with a control group. A total of 30 patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected through the convenience sampling method out of all patients referred to ALA Cancer Prevention and Control Center (MACSA) in Isfahan city, Iran. They were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received mindfulness-based supportive psychotherapy (SP) for 6 sessions of 90-min, while the control group only received treatment as usual (TAU). Finally, both groups were re-evaluated through the post-test and follow-up stages after 3 months. The research instruments included the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Neff's Self-Compassion Scale. Collected data were analyzed using the repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results showed that the group supportive psychotherapy significantly increased posttraumatic growth (p < 0.05) and resilience (p < 0.05), and improved self-compassion (p < 0.05) in the experimental group over the post-test phase. At the post-intervention phase, the effect sizes were Cohen's d = 0.72, d = 0.68, and d = 0.63 for post-traumatic growth, resilience, and self-compassion, respectively. Changes were constantly implemented in the follow-up phase as well. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, mindfulness-based supportive psychotherapy could be used along with usual medical treatment in order to improve post-traumatic growth, resilience, and self-compassion in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As the largest cohort of healthcare workers and nurses can practice as psychotherapists to integrate the psychotherapeutic interventions as part of routine care. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of supportive psychotherapy (SPT) on patients who had been scheduled to undergo a fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) procedure. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 92 patients who underwent FOB, which was divided into the SPT group and usual-care group based on whether patients were given SPT interventions or not. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to determine the severity of depression and anxiety, as well as the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Moreover, the patients' satisfaction was assessed based on the Likert 5-Point Scale. Results: The baseline status of anxiety, depression, and HRQoL in patients was similar in the SPT group and the usual-care group with no significant difference. Both PHQ-9 score and HADS-D score in the SPT group after intervention were lower than that in the usual-care group, accompanied by the deceased HADS-A subscale. Moreover, the improved HRQoL was found in the patients undergoing FOB after SPT interventions as compared to those receiving conventional nursing care using the SF-36 score. Additionally, the patient satisfaction in the SPT group was higher than in the usual-care group. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that anxiety and depression, as negative emotions, can be reduced by supportive psychotherapy in patients receiving FOB with improved mental health and satisfaction with nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo explore the role of supportive psychotherapy in mental health improvement of COVID-19 positive patients， and to provide references for the implementation of early psychological intervention measures in response to the sudden epidemic outburst， such as COVID-19.MethodsA total of 35 patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to ICU ward of Wuhan People’s Hospital from February 1 to March 1， 2020 were enrolled in this study. All the selected individuals received a 2-week supportive psychotherapy. Then Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI）， Patients’ Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item （PHQ-9）， Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale （GAD-7） and Social Support Rating Scale （SSRS） were used to evaluate the sleep quality， depression， anxiety and social support of participants at the baseline and the 2nd week of the intervention.ResultsInsomnia was detected in 32 patients （91.43%）， anxiety symptoms in 31 （88.57%）， depressive symptoms in 32 （91.43%）， and 29 patients （82.86%） reported feeling a lack of social support. After 2 weeks of intervention， the PSQI， GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores decreased （t=5.272， 5.475， 4.621， P

As many as 35% of older adult cancer survivors (OACS; i.e., ≥65 years old) have clinically significant depression. OACS often experience fatigue, mild cognitive impairment, and increased medical comorbidities post-cancer that make them susceptible to depression. Behavioral activation (BA) is an empirically supported depression treatment in geriatric psychiatry that guides individuals to reengage in pleasurable and rewarding activities and has great potential for addressing the needs of OACS. This manuscript presents the protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of a brief BA intervention adapted to address the needs of OACS (BBA-OACS) by telephone and videoconference delivery. An RCT will be conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City. Participants will be randomized to either BA as a target intervention or supportive psychotherapy (SP) as a standard of care control intervention for outpatient oncology. The target intervention includes 10 weekly sessions of BA consisting of psychoeducation about depression and the rationale for BA, life areas and values assessment, compilation of a list of enjoyable and important activities across values, activity scheduling, and self-monitoring of satisfaction and mood. The standard of care control intervention includes 10 weekly sessions of SP consisting of reassurance, guidance, encouragement, and support for patients with cancer. OACS who have a history of cancer, report elevated depressive symptoms, are fluent in English, and can communicate via telephone or videoconference will be recruited from the MSK Survivorship Clinics across all disease types. Seventy participants will be recruited for the study (10 training cases, 30 in each RCT arm). The primary aim is to evaluate implementation outcomes (i.e., acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity) of BA, relative to SP, for cancer survivorship. The secondary aim is to determine the preliminary effects of BA on depressive symptoms (primary outcome), anxiety, coping, and increased activity level (secondary outcomes) compared to SP. Participants will be asked to complete a set of three surveys pre- and post-intervention. If successful, BBA-OACS would provide frontline clinicians with an accessible, evidence-based treatment for OACS. Future research will evaluate the efficacy of BA in a larger trial and its impact on depression and other healthcare outcomes. This study is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (ID NCT05574127). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little data exist on remission rates following psychotherapy for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Methods: Using data from a large study of therapist‐delivered cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) versus supportive psychotherapy (SPT) for BDD (N = 120), we estimated remission rates at treatment endpoint, and rates of delayed remission, sustained remission, and recurrence at 6‐month follow‐up. We also examined improvement in broader mental health outcomes among remitters. Results: Full or partial remission rates at end‐of‐treatment were significantly higher following CBT (68%) than SPT (42%). At 6‐month follow‐up, an additional 10% (CBT) and 14% (SPT) experienced delayed remission, 52% (CBT) and 27% (SPT) experienced sustained remission, and 20% (CBT) and 14% (SPT) experienced recurrence. Remission was never achieved by 18% (CBT) and 45% (SPT). Participants in remission at end‐of‐treatment experienced significant improvements in functional impairment, depression severity, BDD‐related insight, and quality of life compared to nonremitters. Conclusions: Full or partial remission rates are high following CBT for BDD and higher than after SPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined predictors of psychological change among 80 adolescents with bulimia nervosa (BN) participating in a randomized-controlled trial comparing family-based treatment (FBT) to supportive psychotherapy (SPT). Psychological outcomes (cognitive eating disorder pathology, depression, and self-esteem) were explored at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Multi-level growth models examined predictors of rate of change in psychological outcomes and moderators of treatment effects. All psychological outcomes improved through 6-month follow-up (moderate to large effect sizes) across both treatments. Overall, few significant predictors were identified. Older adolescents had faster change in self-esteem relative to younger adolescents (p = 0.03). Adolescents taking psychotropic medication at baseline had faster change in eating concerns relative to adolescents not taking medication (p = 0.02). Age (p = 0.02) and baseline purging severity (p = 0.03) moderated the relationship between treatment condition and change in eating concerns, where younger adolescents and individuals with high baseline purging had greater change when treated with FBT relative to SPT. Age and purging did not significantly moderate change in other psychological outcomes. Bulimic symptom improvement did not predict change in psychological symptoms. Generally, FBT and SPT were equally efficacious with respect to psychological improvement, although FBT may be more efficacious in younger adolescents and those with more frequent purging.

Good psychiatric management for borderline personality disorder (GPM) and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) are evidence-supported treatments that may be used in a complementary, flexible manner to provide a spectrum of psychodynamically informed care. In this article, we provide overviews of TFP and GPM, describing GPM’s eclectic approach that includes psychodynamically informed supportive psychotherapy, case management, and medication management, informed by a model of hypersensitivity to rejection, comparing it with TFP’s focus on identity integration and modification of standard psychodynamic techniques for use in treating patients with borderline personality disorder. We outline convergences and divergences between TFP and GPM in assessment, establishment of treatment goals and a treatment agreement, family involvement, and moment-to-moment psychotherapeutic interventions. The options for integration of TFP and GPM theoretical principles, as well as for models of treatment sequencing, are explored. Clinical vignettes are provided that illustrate sequential uses of GPM and TFP as part of psychodynamically informed long-term clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on predictors of treatment outcome in body dysmorphic disorder, a common and severe disorder, is very limited, and no prior studies have examined moderators of outcome. Because treatment is often but not always efficacious, it is important to identify who is more likely to benefit. We examined predictors and moderators of improvement with therapist-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy versus supportive psychotherapy in the only study of these treatments for body dysmorphic disorder. This report presents secondary analyses from a study whose primary findings have previously been published (Wilhelm et al., 2019).Methods: Participants (N=120) with DSM-IV body dysmorphic disorder were randomized to therapist-delivered weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy or supportive therapy for 24 weeks. Using reliable and valid measures, we tested baseline body dysmorphic disorder severity, insight/delusionality, and depression severity as predictors and moderators of overall and treatment modality-specific symptom change. We explored additional variables as predictors and moderators of outcome.Results: Greater treatment credibility (p=0.02) and presence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (p=0.03) predicted greater improvement. Serotonin-reuptake inhibitor treatment at baseline (unchanged during the study) (p=0.01) predicted less improvement. No other variables predicted or moderated outcome (all p>0.05).Limitations: The study was not powered a priori to detect predictor or moderation effects, which limited our ability to detect them unless they were strong.Conclusions: Because greater treatment credibility predicted better outcomes, fostering credibility during therapy may maximize gains. Improvement was not impeded by more severe body dysmorphic disorder, depressive symptoms, or poorer insight. No variables moderated treatment-specific improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: In the treatment of persistent depressive disorder (PDD), disorder-specific Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) has been shown to be superior to Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) in outpatients. It remains to clear which subgroups of patients benefit equally and differentially from both psychotherapies.Objective: To identify those patient-level baseline characteristics that predict a comparable treatment effectiveness of CBASP and SP and those that moderate the differential effectiveness of CBASP compared to SP.Design, setting and participants: In this analysis of a 48-week multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing CBASP to SP in adult antidepressant-free outpatients with early-onset PDD, we evaluated baseline variables from the following domains as potential predictors and moderators of treatment effectiveness: socio-demography, clinical status, psychosocial and global functioning, life quality, interpersonal problems, childhood trauma, treatment history, preference for psychotherapy, and treatment expectancy.Interventions: A 48-week treatment program with 32 sessions of either CBASP or SP.Main outcomes and measures: Depression severity measured by the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24) at week 48.Results: From N = 268 randomized outpatients, N = 209 completed the 48-week treatment program. CBASP completers had significantly lower post-treatment HRSD-24 scores than SP completers (meanCBASP=13.96, sdCBASP= 9.56; meanSP= 16.69, sdSP= 9.87; p = 0.04). A poor response to both therapies was predicted by higher baseline levels of clinician-rated depression, elevated suicidality, comorbid anxiety, lower social functioning, higher social inhibition, moderate-to-severe early emotional or sexual abuse, no preference for psychotherapy, and the history of at least one previous inpatient treatment. Moderator analyses revealed that patients with higher baseline levels of self-rated depression, comorbidity of at least one Axis-I disorder, self-reported moderate-to-severe early emotional or physical neglect, or at least one previous antidepressant treatment, had a significantly lower post-treatment depression severity with CBASP compared to SP (all p < 0.05).Conclusions and relevance: A complex multifactorial interaction between severe symptoms of depression, suicidality, and traumatic childhood experiences characterized by abuse, social inhibition, and anxiety may represent the basis of non-response to psychotherapy in patients with early onset PDD. Specific psychotherapy with CBASP might, however, be more effective and recommendable for a variety of particularly burdened patients compared to SP.

Competing Interests: Dr. Ruble reports receiving travel funds from Johns Hopkins University to present workshops at conferences, a speaker’s honorarium from the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, and payment from Elsevier for writing clinical guidelines. Dr. Terzian reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Importance: In the treatment of persistent depressive disorder (PDD), disorder-specific Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) has been shown to be superior to Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) in outpatients. It remains to clear which subgroups of patients benefit equally and differentially from both psychotherapies. Objective: To identify those patient-level baseline characteristics that predict a comparable treatment effectiveness of CBASP and SP and those that moderate the differential effectiveness of CBASP compared to SP. Design, setting and participants: In this analysis of a 48-week multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing CBASP to SP in adult antidepressant-free outpatients with early-onset PDD, we evaluated baseline variables from the following domains as potential predictors and moderators of treatment effectiveness: socio-demography, clinical status, psychosocial and global functioning, life quality, interpersonal problems, childhood trauma, treatment history, preference for psychotherapy, and treatment expectancy. Interventions: A 48-week treatment program with 32 sessions of either CBASP or SP. Main outcomes and measures: Depression severity measured by the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24) at week 48. Results: From N = 268 randomized outpatients, N = 209 completed the 48-week treatment program. CBASP completers had significantly lower post-treatment HRSD-24 scores than SP completers (meanCBASP=13.96, sdCBASP= 9.56; meanSP= 16.69, sdSP= 9.87; p = 0.04). A poor response to both therapies was predicted by higher baseline levels of clinician-rated depression, elevated suicidality, comorbid anxiety, lower social functioning, higher social inhibition, moderate-to-severe early emotional or sexual abuse, no preference for psychotherapy, and the history of at least one previous inpatient treatment. Moderator analyses revealed that patients with higher baseline levels of self-rated depression, comorbidity of at least one Axis-I disorder, self-reported moderate-to-severe early emotional or physical neglect, or at least one previous antidepressant treatment, had a significantly lower post-treatment depression severity with CBASP compared to SP (all p < 0.05). Conclusions and relevance: A complex multifactorial interaction between severe symptoms of depression, suicidality, and traumatic childhood experiences characterized by abuse, social inhibition, and anxiety may represent the basis of non-response to psychotherapy in patients with early onset PDD. Specific psychotherapy with CBASP might, however, be more effective and recommendable for a variety of particularly burdened patients compared to SP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are a major cause of Severe Head Injuries (SHI) among Kenyan citizens of productive age comprising 14.3% of adult Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit ICU/HDU admissions. Severe injuries are managed in a Critical Care Unit (CCU) for specialized supportive care. Objectives: To determine the specialized supportive care for patients with road traffic injuries (RTI's) and identify the challenges experienced by health care workers managing the patients in CCU. Design: A one-year retrospective cohort study. Setting: Critical Care Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital-(CCU-KNH) Subjects: Patients admitted to CCU-KNH with Road Traffic Injuries (RTI's) in 2013 and managers for Anaesthesiologists, Nurses, Physiotherapists and Nutritionists. Results: The specialized supportive services offered to RTA patients included radiological services; Computerized Axial Tomography (CT Scan) (95.8 %); XRay services (78.9%); Abdominal Ultra-Sound (5.6%); Laboratory services; Full hemogram (FHG) (81.7 %), Grouping and Cross-Matching (GXM)(29.6%), Urea and Electrolytes (77.5%), Coagulation profile (1.4%) and Arterial Blood Gas Analysis (ABGs) (87.3%), Physiotherapy (97.2%), Nursing care and Nutritional support. Challenges were reported as inadequate resources, poor staffing, lack of multidisciplinary teamwork, delayed admission, lack of specialized training, long stay patients and complications among patients. Electrolyte imbalances, infections, shock and arrhythmias were significantly associated with mortality among the patients, P<0.05. Conclusion: Specialized supportive care for RTA patients was provided though at varied levels. Addressing the challenges of care can improve health outcomes of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive psychotherapy (SP) continues to be an indispensible psychotherapeutic approach for a range of mental health diagnoses, taught to and practiced by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. However, confusion abounds when attempting to delineate the boundaries of its intervention strategies, its theoretical foundation, processes of change, and distinct efficacy as compared with other approaches—and even its definition. The primary aims of this paper are three-fold: (1) to review the theoretical foundations of SP, (2) to advance a clearer identity for SP and (3) most importantly, to incorporate contemporary theoretical approaches to inform the practice of SP. The paper argues for a re-visioning of SP, in order that it may endure as a viable and distinct psychotherapeutic approach, in both modern-day practice and research contexts. Such re-visioning includes the incorporation of contemporary relational theory and findings from neuroscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The moderating effect of childhood maltreatment observed for acute-phase outcomes of CBASP vs. SP diminishes over the course of a naturalistic two-year follow period. • CBASP is still more effective than SP one year after treatment termination in patients who retrospectively reported emotional abuse. • To insure the sustainability of specific treatment effects, patients with chronic depression and a history of childhood maltreatment appear to be in need of long-term disease management. Childhood maltreatment (CM) predicted poorer outcomes in acute depression treatment with CBT, IPT and Supportive Psychotherapy (SP). The Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) fared well in patients with chronic depression and CM during acute treatment, yet there is a considerable lack of empirical evidence for long-term outcomes. We analyzed one and two-year follow-up data of 268 patients randomized to 24 sessions (20 weeks) of acute and 8 sessions (28 weeks) of extended treatment with CBASP or SP. Primary outcome was the number of well weeks as measured by the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation Interview (LIFE). Secondary outcomes included self- and clinician-rated depression symptoms. We investigated this moderating effect for any CM and for specific subtypes of CM. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that the presence of CM did not significantly moderate long-term effects of CBASP compared to SP. The analysis of trauma subtypes revealed that patients with childhood emotional abuse had statistically significant worse outcomes than patients without (main effect, p =.015) and that the advantage of CBASP over SP was larger in patients with childhood emotional abuse than in patients without (interaction effect, p =.045) after 1 year. No significant effects were found for other trauma subtypes. The measurement of CM was limited to retrospective self-assessment. The presence of CM did not significantly moderate long-term treatment effects of CBASP compared to SP. When trauma subtypes were considered, CBASP was more effective than SP after one year in patients who retrospectively reported emotional abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive psychotherapy is one of the most widely used psychotherapies. The need for therapists for mental health treatment, especially anxiety and depression, is increasing all over the world. However, therapists are insufficient in terms of quantity and quality in societies with low socioeconomic and sociocultural levels. At this point, I am reporting an extraordinary social observation that a group of people in a city with a low sociocultural level unknowingly establish a secret "therapist-client" relationship with each other to find solutions to their mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background: The emotional bond that a mother feels towards her infant is critical to their social, emotional, and cognitive development. This concept has a major influence on an infant’s future health, and growth, so the assessment of parental-fetal attachment and related factors is of great importance. This study aimed to examine the effect of psychological intervention on attachment and persistency of lactation.Methods: This clinical trial was carried out on 71 pregnant women who visited Milad and Vali-Asr hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The subjects were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into control (n=36) and intervention (n=35) groups. In the intervention group, the subjects received three sessions of supportive group psychotherapy supplemented by training packages. Avant’s mother-infant attachment behavior questionnaire, Maternal Attachment Inventory, 28-item General Health Questionnaire, and the short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory were used to evaluate attachment behaviors and related factors. Attachment of mothers was examined at six different times. Statistical data was analyzed using independent t-test, Fisher’s exact test.Results: The findings indicated that the intervention group had increased attachment and breastfeeding persistency (P˂0.001). Regression test also showed that maternal attachment was significantly influenced by psychological interventions, self-esteem, and depression (P˂0.001).Conclusion: According to the results, psychological interventions are suggested during pregnancy to increase attachment and breastfeeding persistency, and thereby, improve mental health of both mother and newborn.

Parental autonomy support has been related to positive adolescent outcomes, however, its relation to outcomes in collectivist cultural groups is unclear. This study examined relations of specific autonomy supportive behaviors and outcomes among 401 adolescents (Mage  = 12.87) from the United States (N = 245) and collectivist-oriented Ghana (N = 156). It also examined whether adolescents' self-construals moderated the relations of specific types of autonomy support with outcomes. Factor analyses indicated two types of autonomy support: perspective taking/open exchange and allowance of decision making/choice. In both countries, perspective taking/open exchange predicted positive outcomes, but decision making/choice only did so in the United States. With regard to moderation, the more independent adolescents' self-construals, the stronger the relations of decision making/choice to parental controllingness and school engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Following head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment, individuals experience an array of side effects which can impact on physical, emotional, and practical aspects of their lives. Responsive, supportive rehabilitation services are therefore essential to address ongoing survivorship needs. This study examined the nature of patient-reported goals from acute to long-term post-treatment, to inform design/delivery of future rehabilitation services.Methods: Using a cross-sectional cohort design, 91 patients between 2 weeks and 5 years of post non-surgical HNC treatment (acute n = 29; sub-acute n = 28; long-term n = 34), provided their top four rehabilitation goals considering any aspect of their lives. Content analysis was used to categorise responses at each time point.Results: Three core categories of patient goals were identified relating to: (1) treatment side effects (TSE), (2) overall health (OH), and (3) living life (LL). TSE goals were a priority during the acute and sub-acute phases, with less focus long-term. LL goals were prevalent across all time points, though increased in the long-term. Approximately a third of all goals at each time point related to OH.Conclusions: A variety of rehabilitation goals were identified, and the focus shifted over time. These data highlight the importance of changing the focus of rehabilitation as patients' priorities vary over time. Early multidisciplinary care from allied health services is crucial to provide support with managing side effects and returning to daily activities. In the long-term, greater input from services to address health, nutrition, leisure, and fitness goals may be more beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Habits are behavioral routines that are automatic and frequent, relatively independent of any desired outcome, and have potent antecedent cues. Among individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), behaviors that promote the starved state appear habitual, and this is the foundation of a recent neurobiological model of AN. In this proof-of-concept study, we tested the habit model of AN by examining the impact of an intervention focused on antecedent cues for eating disorder routines. Methods: The primary intervention target was habit strength; we also measured clinical impact via eating disorder psychopathology and actual eating. Twenty-two hospitalized patients with AN were randomly assigned to 12 sessions of either Supportive Psychotherapy or a behavioral intervention aimed at cues for maladaptive behavioral routines, Regulating Emotions and Changing Habits (REaCH). Results: Covarying for baseline, REaCH was associated with a significantly lower Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) score and significantly lower Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) global score at the end-of-treatment. The end-of-treatment effect size for SRHI was d = 1.28, for EDE-Q was d = 0.81, and for caloric intake was d = 1.16. Conclusions: REaCH changed habit strength of maladaptive routines more than an active control therapy, and targeting habit strength yielded improvement in clinically meaningful measures. These findings support a habit-based model of AN, and suggest habit strength as a mechanism-based target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]