The following is a summary of “Difference between shorter- versus longer-term psychotherapy for adult mental health disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis,” published in the June 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Juul et al.

In the retrospective study, researchers compared shorter vs. longer-term psychotherapy’s favorable and adverse impacts on adults with mental health disorders. The average psychotherapy duration is not certain yet for mental health disorders.

The study enrolled randomized 3,447 participants from 19 trials. They followed an eight-step approach and was based on Cochrane. The primary objective was severe adverse events, quality of life, and symptom severity, while secondary outcomes included self-harm, suicide-related events, and overall functioning levels.

Out of 19 trials, only three trials fitted in the required information size to approve or decline realistic intervention effects. All these trials had a significant risk of bias. While examining the quality of life, symptom severity, and functional level, a single trial indicated no noticeable distinction between 6 and 12 months of dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorder. However, one trial demonstrated a positive outcome by incorporating booster sessions into 8 and 12 weeks of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression while evaluating symptom severity and functional level. Furthermore, another trial evaluating symptom severity and functional level showed no indication of the distinction between 20 weeks and 3 years of psychodynamic psychotherapy for mood or anxiety disorders. The study conducted two pre-planned meta-analyses. For anxiety disorders on anxiety symptoms, meta-analysis hadn’t indicated any distinction between shorter vs. longer-term cognitive behavioral therapy at the end of treatment (SMD: 0.08; 95% CI: -0.47 to 0.63; p = 0.77; I² = 73%; four trials; very low certainty). The second meta-analysis indicated no disparity between shorter vs. longer-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders regarding the functioning level (SMD 0.16; 95% CI -0.08 to 0.40; p = 0.20; I² = 21%; two trials; very low certainty).

The study concluded that the prevailing uncertainty regarding the efficacy of shorter versus longer-term psychotherapy for adult mental health disorders underscored the urgent requirement for more high-quality trials involving a spectrum of psychopathological severities.

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-023-04895-6