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The Efficacy of Experiential Dynamic Therapies: A 10-Year Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Update
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Clinical psychology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2500-3510
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Clinical psychology. Uppsala University, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1296-3432
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Clinical psychology.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6325-4380
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology.
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Number of Authors: 52025 (English)In: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, ISSN 1063-3995, E-ISSN 1099-0879, no 3, article id e70086Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

There is a growing interest in clinical interventions targeting emotion regulation difficulties across mental health conditions. Experiential dynamic therapies (EDTs) are transdiagnostic, affect-focused, short-term psychodynamic therapy models that emphasize in-session emotional processing. This review provides a 10-year update on the efficacy of EDTs for mood, anxiety, personality and somatic symptom disorders in adults and children/adolescents. A comprehensive search identified 57 randomized controlled trials (n = 4330) conducted in Western (k = 38; n = 3178) and non-Western countries (k = 19; n = 1152) between 1978 and 2024. Random-effects meta-analyses on primary outcomes indicated large, significant effects for EDTs compared to inactive controls at post-treatment (Hedge's g = −0.96; k = 41) and follow-up (g = −1.11; k = 20). Compared to active controls, effects were small and non-significant post-treatment (g = −0.17; k = 27) but became significant at follow-up (g = −0.40; k = 19), suggesting a potential modest long-term advantage of EDTs. Despite substantial heterogeneity (I2 > 75%), results remained robust in sensitivity analyses. Moderator analyses revealed few significant findings, indicating relative consistency across diagnostic groups, treatment formats and active comparators. Non-Western and lower quality studies reported larger effects compared to inactive, but not active, controls. While cautious interpretation is warranted due to unexplained heterogeneity, findings support EDTs as efficacious transdiagnostic interventions for emotional disorders, with sustained benefits over time. Future research should prioritize large-scale, methodologically rigorous trials that explore mechanisms of change, optimize treatment delivery and identify moderators of long-term outcomes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. no 3, article id e70086
Keywords [en]
affect-focused, emotion regulation, experiential, meta-analysis, psychodynamic, transdiagnostic
National Category
Applied Psychology
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URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-243908DOI: 10.1002/cpp.70086ISI: 001494409100001PubMedID: 40411162Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105005805254OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-243908DiVA, id: diva2:1965576
Available from: 2025-06-09 Created: 2025-06-09 Last updated: 2025-06-09Bibliographically approved

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Lilliengren, PeterMechler, JakobLindqvist, KarinMaroti, DanielJohansson, Robert

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