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Long-term effects of transference interpretation in dynamic psychotherapy of personality disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

P. Høglend ,
H.-S. Dahl ,
A.G. Hersoug ,
S. Lorentzen  and
J.C. Perry
P. Høglend*
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, University of Oslo, PO Box 85, Vinderen, 0319 Oslo, Norway
H.-S. Dahl
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, University of Oslo, PO Box 85, Vinderen, 0319 Oslo, Norway
A.G. Hersoug
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, University of Oslo, PO Box 85, Vinderen, 0319 Oslo, Norway
S. Lorentzen
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry, University of Oslo, Aker University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 21, 0372 Oslo, Norway
J.C. Perry
Affiliation:
Psychotherapy research Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E4, Canada
*
⁎Corresponding author. Tel.: +4722029960; fax: +4722495861. E-mail address: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Only a few treatment studies of personality disorders (PD) patients are on longer-term psychotherapy, general outcome measures are used, and follow-up periods are usually short. More studies of long-term therapies, using outcome measures of core psychopathology, are needed.

Method

This study is a dismantling randomized controlled clinical trial, specifically designed to study long-term effects of transference interpretation. Forty-six patients with mainly cluster C personality disorders were randomly assigned to 1 year of dynamic psychotherapy with or without transference interpretations. The outcome measures were remission from PD, improvement in interpersonal functioning, and use of mental health resources in the 3-year period after treatment termination.

Results

After therapy with transference interpretation PD-patients improved significantly more in core psychopathology and interpersonal functioning, the drop-out rate was reduced to zero, and use of health services was reduced to 50%, compared to therapy without this ingredient. Three years after treatment termination, 73% no longer met diagnostic criteria for any PD in the transference group, compared to 44% in the comparison group.

Conclusions

PD-patients with co-morbid disorders improved in both treatment arms in this study. However, transference interpretation improved outcome substantially more. Long-term psychotherapy that includes transference interpretation is an effective treatment for cluster C personality disorders and milder cluster B personality disorders.

Keywords

Personality disordersPsychotherapyLong-term outcome
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 26 , Issue 7 , October 2011 , pp. 419 - 424
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2010

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