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Deisenhofer AK, Hehlmann MI, Rubel JA, Lutz W, Schwartz B, Bräscher AK, Christiansen H, Fehm L, Glombiewski JA, Heider J, Helbig-Lang S, Hermann A, Hoyer J, In-Albon T, Lincoln T, Margraf J, Risch AK, Schöttke H, Schulze L, Stark R, Teismann T, Velten J, Willutzki U, Wilz G, Witthöft M, Odyniec P. Love yourself as a therapist, doubt yourself as an institution? Therapist and institution effects on outcome, treatment length, and dropout. Psychother Res 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38831579 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2024.2352749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research suggests that some therapists achieve better outcomes than others. However, an overlooked area of study is how institution differences impact patient outcomes independent of therapist variance. This study aimed to examine the role of institution and therapist differences in adult outpatient psychotherapy. METHOD The study included 1428 patients who were treated by 196 therapists at 10 clinics. Two- and three-level hierarchical linear regression models were employed to investigate the effects of therapists and institutions on three dependent patient variables: (1) symptom change, (2) treatment duration, and (3) dropout. Level three explanatory variables were tested. RESULTS The results showed that therapist effects (TE) were significant for all three types of treatment outcome (7.8%-18.2%). When a third level (institution) was added to the model, the differences between therapists decreased, and significant institution effects (IE) were found: 6.3% for symptom change, 10.6% for treatment duration, and 6.5% for dropout. The exploratory analyses found no predictors able to explain the systematic variation at the institution level. DISCUSSION TE on psychotherapy outcomes remain a relevant factor but may have been overestimated in previous studies due to not properly distinguishing them from differences at the institution level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miriam I Hehlmann
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Julian A Rubel
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Lutz
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Brian Schwartz
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Bräscher
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hanna Christiansen
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Clinic (KJ-PAM), Marburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Bochum-Marburg, Germany
| | - Lydia Fehm
- Center for Psychotherapy at the Insitute of Psychology (ZPHU), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia A Glombiewski
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Adulthood, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jens Heider
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Adulthood, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Sylvia Helbig-Lang
- Psychotherapy Training Program (PTA Hamburg) at Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Hermann
- Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hoyer
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tina In-Albon
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Tania Lincoln
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology and Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Margraf
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Clinic (KJ-PAM), Marburg, Germany
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anne Katrin Risch
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Henning Schöttke
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Lars Schulze
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Teismann
- Mental Health Treatment and Research Center, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Julia Velten
- Faculty of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ulrike Willutzki
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Gabriele Wilz
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrizia Odyniec
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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Fiorillo A, Sampogna G, Albert U, Maina G, Perugi G, Pompili M, Rosso G, Sani G, Tortorella A. Facts and myths about the use of lithium for bipolar disorder in routine clinical practice: an expert consensus paper. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2023; 22:50. [PMID: 38057894 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-023-00481-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder is one of the most burdensome severe mental disorders, characterized by high levels of personal and social disability. Patients often need an integrated pharmacological and non-pharmacological approach. Lithium is one of the most effective treatments available not only in psychiatry, but in the whole medicine, and its clinical efficacy is superior to that of other mood stabilizers. However, a declining trend on lithium prescriptions has been observed worldwide in the last 20 years, supporting the notion that lithium is a 'forgotten drug' and highlighting that the majority of patients with bipolar disorder are missing out the best available pharmacological option. Based on such premises, a narrative review has been carried out on the most common "misconceptions" and "stereotypes" associated with lithium treatment; we also provide a list of "good reasons" for using lithium in ordinary clinical practice to overcome those false myths. MAIN TEXT A narrative search of the available literature has been performed entering the following keywords: "bipolar disorder", "lithium", "myth", "mythology", "pharmacological treatment", and "misunderstanding". The most common false myths have been critically revised and the following statements have been proposed: (1) Lithium should represent the first choice for the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder; (2) lithium treatment is effective in different patients' groups suffering from bipolar disorder; (3) Drug-drug interaction risk can be easily managed during lithium treatment; (4) The optimal management of lithium treatment includes periodical laboratory tests; (5) Slow-release lithium formulation has advantages compared to immediate release formulation; (6) Lithium treatment has antisuicidal properties; (7) Lithium can be carefully managed during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS In recent years, a discrepancy between evidence-based recommendations and clinical practice in using lithium treatment for patients with bipolar disorder has been highlighted. It is time to disseminate clear and unbiased information on the clinical efficacy, effectiveness, tolerability and easiness to use of lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder. It is necessary to reinvigorate the clinical and academic discussion about the efficacy of lithium, to counteract the decreasing prescription trend of one of the most effective drugs available in the whole medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Fiorillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Largo Madonna delle Grazie, Naples, Italy
| | - Gaia Sampogna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Largo Madonna delle Grazie, Naples, Italy.
| | - Umberto Albert
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maina
- San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulio Perugi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital - Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Rosso
- San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
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Crits-Christoph P, Gallop R, Duong L, Zoupou E, Gibbons MBC. Repeated assessments of depressive symptoms in randomized psychosocial intervention trials: best practice for analyzing symptom change over time. Psychother Res 2023; 33:158-172. [PMID: 35544540 PMCID: PMC9649835 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2022.2073289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Psychotherapy randomized trials rarely have tested for the best fitting model for time effects. We examined the fit of different statistical models for examining time when repeated assessments of depressive symptoms are the primary outcome. METHOD We used data from three studies comparing psychotherapy treatments for major depressive disorder. Outcome measures were self-report ratings for Study 1 (N = 237) and Study 2 (N = 100) and clinician ratings for Study 3 (N = 120) of depressive symptoms measured at every session (Studies 1 and 2) or monthly (Study 3). We examined the fit of the following time patterns: linear, quadratic, cubic, log transformation of time, piece-wise linear, and unstructured. RESULTS In Study 1, a log-linear model had the best fit (Δ Akaike information criterion [AICc] = 7.5). In Study 2, all models had essentially no support (Δ AICcs > 10) in comparison to the best fitting model, which was the unstructured model. In Study 3, the cubic model had the best fit, but it was not significantly better than a log-linear (Δ AICc = 3.5) or unstructured model (Δ AICc = 2.5). CONCLUSIONS Trials should routinely compare different time models, including an unstructured model, when repeated measures of depressive symptoms are the primary outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lang Duong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Eirini Zoupou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
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Luciano M, Di Vincenzo M, Mancuso E, Marafioti N, Di Cerbo A, Giallonardo V, Sampogna G, Fiorillo A. Does the Brain Matter? Cortical Alterations in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Critical Review of Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Studies. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1302-1318. [PMID: 36173069 PMCID: PMC10324338 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220927114417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is associated with significant psychosocial impairment, high use of mental health services and a high number of relapses and hospitalization. Neuroimaging techniques provide the opportunity to study the neurodevelopmental processes underlying PBD, helping to identify the endophenotypic markers of illness and early biological markers of PBD. The aim of the study is to review available studies assessing structural and functional brain correlates associated with PBD. PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and PsychINFO databases have been searched. Studies were included if they enrolled patients aged 0-18 years with a main diagnosis of PBD according to ICD or DSM made by a mental health professional, adopted structural and/or functional magnetic resonance as the main neuroimaging method, were written in English and included a comparison with healthy subjects. Of the 400 identified articles, 46 papers were included. Patients with PBD present functional and anatomic alterations in structures normally affecting regulations and cognition. Structural neuroimaging revealed a significant reduction in gray matter, with cortical thinning in bilateral frontal, parietal and occipital cortices. Functional neuroimaging studies reported a reduced engagement of the frontolimbic and hyperactivation of the frontostriatal circuitry. Available studies on brain connectivity in PBD patients potentially indicate less efficient connections between regions involved in cognitive and emotional functions. A greater functional definition of alteration in brain functioning of PBD patients will be useful to set up a developmentally sensitive targeted pharmacological and nonpharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Luciano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Vincenzo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Emiliana Mancuso
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Niccolò Marafioti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Di Cerbo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Gaia Sampogna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Fiorillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
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