Psychodynamic therapy for depression

There are many different types of psychological disorders present for diagnoses. As well as many forms of treatment methods available focused on the remedial process for the individual. Each treatment often target on a different aspect for the individual, these aspects may include personal skills and coping, cognitive, social aspects, behavioural etc… Therapies can also be combined together to improve results for the patient depending on the patient’s situation and condition. Depression is one of the conditions under mood disorders and can be very influential on the individual’s life and daily activity functioning which may lead to significant consequences if left untreated. In this paper, I will explore the topic of psychodynamic treatments for depression. This paper will discuss about this area of treatment methods in detail and how they work to help the individual as well as comparing and contrasting other treatment methods and their effects on patients to explore which treatment are more effective.

Part One: Treatment Rationale

Depression is a state characterized by a sad mood and loss of interest in one’s usual activities with feelings of hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, psychomotor agitation or retardation and trouble concentrating. (Nolen-Hoeksema, & Rector, 2011, p.297) Depression is a common major health problem that significantly affects the patient as well as generating extensive costs for the society. (Johansson, Nyblom, Carlbring, Cuijpers & Andersson, 2013) Thus, it is really important that this illness can get treated with the right therapies to minimize the negative impacts on the individual’s quality of life. Psychodynamic treatments are developed from Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis which formulates t...

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...NE, 6(4), 1-9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019044

Johansson, R., Nyblom, A., Carlbring, P., Cuijpers, P., & Andersson, G. (2013). Choosing between internet-based psychodynamic versus cognitive behavioral therapy for depression: A pilot preference study. BMC Psychiatry, 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/13/268

Kush, F. R. (2009). Brief psychodynamic and cognitive therapy regarding acute treatment. Journal of Psychotherapy Intergration , 19(2), 158-172. doi: 10.1037/a0016069

Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Rector, N. A. (2011). Abnormal psychology. (2 ed., p. 297, 321, 322, 339, 340). New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Ulberg, R., Hersoug, A. G., & Hoglend, P. (2012). Treatment of adolescents with depression: The effect of transference interventions in a randomized controlled study of dynamic psychotherapy. Trials, 1-10. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-13-159