SynthesisBMC psychiatry2023
The difference between shorter- versus longer-term psychotherapy for adult mental health disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07366346 (Telehealth-Adapted Compensatory Training and Intervention for Cognition for People With Mild Cognitive Impairment), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Telehealth-Adapted Compensatory Training and Intervention for Cognition for People With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of video-based natural restorative environments on mental health: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- App-Based Interventions for Moderate to Severe Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA network open · 2023Pooled it
- Childhood trauma and differential response to long-term psychoanalytic versus cognitive-behavioural therapy for chronic depression in adults.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2024Trial
- Short-Term versus Long-Term Mentalization-Based Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial (MBT-RCT).Psychotherapy and psychosomatics · 2023Trial
- Does primary care level psychotherapy associate with later use of long-term psychotherapy - longitudinal register-based cohort study among Finnish occupationally active individuals.International journal of mental health systems · 2026Article
- Cost-effectiveness and acceptability study of the Unified Protocol for the treatment of emotional disorders in brief groups in primary care services of the Spanish National Health System: a study protocol.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Influences on prescribing in borderline personality disorder: insights from health care professionals: a qualitative interview study.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Article
- The Implementation of a Blended Counseling Intervention in Undergraduate Engineering Students: The Effect on Mental Health.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe optimal psychotherapy duration for mental health disorders is unclear. Our aim was to assess the beneficial and harmful effects of shorter- versus longer-term psychotherapy for adult mental health disorders.
methodWe searched relevant databases and websites for published and unpublished randomised clinical trials assessing different durations of the same psychotherapy type before June 27, 2022. Our methodology was based on Cochrane and an eight-step procedure. Primary outcomes were quality of life, serious adverse events, and symptom severity. Secondary outcomes were suicide or suicide-attempts, self-harm, and level of functioning.
resultsWe included 19 trials randomising 3,447 participants. All trials were at high risk of bias. Three single trials met the required information size needed to confirm or reject realistic intervention effects. One single trial showed no evidence of a difference between 6 versus 12 months dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality when assessing quality of life, symptom severity, and level of functioning. One single trial showed evidence of a beneficial effect of adding booster sessions to 8 and 12 weeks of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety when assessing symptom severity and level of functioning. One single trial showed no evidence of a difference between 20 weeks versus 3 years of psychodynamic psychotherapy for mood- or anxiety disorders when assessing symptom severity and level of functioning. It was only possible to conduct two pre-planned meta-analyses. Meta-analysis showed no evidence of a difference between shorter- and longer-term cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders on anxiety symptoms at end of treatment (SMD: 0.08; 95% CI: -0.47 to 0.63; p = 0.77; I
conclusionsThe evidence for shorter versus longer-term psychotherapy for adult mental health disorders is currently unclear. We only identified 19 randomised clinical trials. More trials at low risk of bias and at low risk of random errors assessing participants at different levels of psychopathological severity are urgently needed. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019128535.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.