Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40669917›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Modified Alliance-Focused Training with Doubling as an integrative approach to improve therapists' competencies in dealing with alliance ruptures and prevent negative outcomes in psychotherapy for depression: study protocol of a randomised controlled multicentre trial.

Antje Gumz, Denise Kästner, Laurence Reuter, Carmen Martinez Moura, Klarissa Ehlers, Anne Daubmann, Catherine F Eubanks, John Christopher Muran, Timothy Anderson, Ramona Stöckl and 6 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Antje GumzDepartment of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany a.gumz@phb.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2193-6540
Denise KästnerDepartment of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Laurence ReuterDepartment of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Carmen Martinez MouraDepartment of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Klarissa EhlersDepartment of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Anne DaubmannInstitute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0156-0926
Catherine F EubanksDerner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, USA.
John Christopher MuranDerner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, USA.
Timothy AndersonDepartment of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.
Ramona StöcklClinical Trial Office, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Georg SchwanitzClinical Trial Office, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lena StegemannClinical Trial Office, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lana RohrClinical Trial Office, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Ulrike WillutzkiDepartment of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany.
Frank JacobiDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Antonia ZapfInstitute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAlliance ruptures constitute a high risk of premature treatment termination and poor psychotherapy outcome. The Alliance-Focused Training (AFT) is a promising transtheoretical approach to enhance therapists' skills in dealing with alliance ruptures. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: To evaluate the effectiveness of Modified AFT with doubling (MAFT-D), a randomised, patient and evaluator-blinded, multicentre trial was designed comparing MAFT-D (delivered to trainee therapists and supervisors) and psychotherapy training/treatment as usual (TAU) for therapists (n=120) and their patients with depressive disorders (n=240). A total of 17 cooperating centres, each offering either cognitive-behavioural or psychodynamic psychotherapy training, will contribute to recruitment. Stratification by centre (both for therapists and patients) and hence therapeutic approach (cognitive-behavioural vs psychodynamic psychotherapies), and by comorbid personality disorder (yes vs no, for patients) will be carried out. The two hierarchically ordered primary hypotheses are: In MAFT-D compared with TAU, a stronger reduction of depressive symptoms and a lower rate of patient dropout is expected from baseline to 20 weeks after baseline. Follow-up assessments are planned at 35 weeks, 20 months and 36 months postbaseline to evaluate the persistence of effects. Secondary patient-related and therapist-related outcomes as well as predictors, moderators and mediators of change will be investigated. Mixed models with repeated measures will be used for the primary analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approvals were obtained by the institutional ethics review board of the main study centre as well as by review boards in each federal state where one or more cooperating centres are located (secondary votes). Following the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement for non-pharmacological trials, results will be reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals and disseminated to patient organisations and media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00014842; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00014842.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceCognitive Behavioral TherapyDepressive DisorderPsychotherapyPsychotherapy, PsychodynamicTherapeutic AllianceHumansMulticenter Studies as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeClinical TrialDepression & mood disordersEDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training)Psychosocial Intervention

Identifiers

PMID40669917
PMCPMC12273124

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.