The effect of individual short- and long-term psychotherapy on perceived social support: analysis of secondary outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the patients by treatment group [20, 31].

Characteristic	Treatment
	SPP (N = 101)	SFT (N = 97)	LPP (N = 128)	Total (N = 326)
Demographic variables
Age (years)	32.1 (7.0)	33.6 (7.2)	31.6 (6.6)	32.3 (6.9)
Sex (%)^a	25.7	25.8	21.1	23.9
Cohabiting or married (%)	51.5	43.3	50.8	48.8
Academic education (%)	19.8	28.9	28.1	25.8
Employed or student (%)	85.1	83.1	75.4	80.7
Psychiatric diagnosis
Mood disorder (%)	78.2	86.6	88.3	84.6
Anxiety disorder (%)	49.5	46.4	36.7	43.5
Personality disorder (%)^b	24.8	18.6	12.5	18.1
Psychiatric comorbidity (%)	48.5	45.4	36.7	42.9
Psychiatric symptoms
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)	15.4 (5.0)	15.8 (4.5)	15.8 (5.0)	15.7 (4.8)
Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS)	15.0 (5.4)	14.9 (5.2)	14.8 (5.2)	14.9 (5.2)
Psychiatric history and previous psychiatric treatment
Duration of primary disorder over 5 years (%)	33.0	36.5	29.9	32.5
Previous psychotherapy (%)	18.8	20.0	19.0	19.3
Previous medication (%)	21.8	27.8	17.6	22.0
Previous hospitalization (%)	0.0	2.1	2.4	1.8
Social support (BISSI)
Global index	11.9 (3.4)	11.5 (3.6)	11.6 (3.1)	11.7 (3.3)
Size of social network	3.4 (2.2)	3.9 (3.3)	3.8 (2.9)	3.7 (2.8)
Satisfaction in support	6.7 (1.8)	6.3 (2.0)	6.5 (1.8)	6.5 (1.8)
Perceived emotional support available	2.1 (0.8)	1.9 (0.8)	2.0 (0.7)	2.0 (0.8)
Perceived emotional support available from family	7.6 (2.5)	7.2 (2.3)	7.6 (2.1)	7.5 (2.3)
Perceived emotional support available from friends	6.2 (1.8)	6.0 (1.9)	5.9 (1.8)	6.0 (1.8)
Perceived emotional support available from professionals	2.9 (1.4)	2.6 (1.2)	2.7 (1.1)	2.8 (1.2)

SPP, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; LPP, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; SFT, solution-focused therapy.

Values are presented as mean (standard deviation) unless otherwise indicated.

^aProportion of men.

^bProportion of patients with a diagnosis on Axis II (personality disorder, cluster B, C, or not otherwise specified).

Table 2. Mean score levels and standard errors of BISSI global index in treatment groups and adjusted mean score differences (95% confidence intervals) between treatment groups at annual follow-up points.

Time	Mean scores^a (s.e.)						Mean score differences (95% CI)^b
(years)	N	SPP	N	LPP	N	SFT	SPP-SFT	SPP-LPP	LPP-SFT
0	101	11.9 (0.33)	126	11.6 (0.30)	93	11.5 (0.34)
1	83	12.3 (0.33)	94	12.9 (0.30)^c	79	12.7 (0.34)^c	−0.67 (–1.46,0.12)	−0.70 (–1.44,0.04)	0.03 (–0.74,0.80)
2	77	12.6 (0.38)	90	12.8 (0.34)^c	67	12.7 (0.42)^c	−0.39 (–1.37,0.60)	−0.35 (–1.23,0.53)	−0.03 (–0.98,0.91)
3	78	12.9 (0.33)^c	86	13.5 (0.31)^c^,d	64	12.8 (0.35)^c	−0.18 (–1.03,0.67)	−0.75 (–1.53,0.04)	0.56 (–0.26,1.39)
4	74	13.0 (0.36)^c	89	13.2 (0.33)^c	62	13.1 (0.39)^c	−0.39 (–1.34,0.56)	−0.24 (–1.10,0.63)	−0.15 (–1.08,0.77)
5	75	12.7 (0.36)	100	13.3 (0.32)^c	68	12.9 (0.38)^c	−0.45 (–1.43,0.53)	−0.77 (–1.66,0.12)	0.32 (–0.61,1.25)

SPP, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; LPP, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; SFT, solution-focused therapy.

^aIntention-to-treat (ITT) model: including the main effects of therapy group, follow-up time, and the difference between the theoretical and realized date of measurement, and first-order interaction of therapy group and time.

^bITT model adjusted for the baseline level of the outcome variable.

^cA statistically significant change occurred in comparison with the value at the baseline (time point 0).

^dA statistically significant change occurred in comparison with the value at the previous time point.

Table 3. Mean score levels and standard errors of BISSI subscales in treatment groups and adjusted mean score differences (95% confidence intervals) between treatment groups at annual follow-up points.

Outcome variable	Time (years)	Mean scores^a (SE)						Mean score differences (95% CI)^b
		N	SPP	N	LPP	N	SFT	SPP-SFT	SPP-LPP	LPP-SFT
Network	0	99	3.45 (0.28)	125	3.83 (0.25)	88	3.86 (0.29)
size	1	81	3.31 (0.24)	94	3.50 (0.22)	78	3.62 (0.25)	−0.14 (–0.70,0.43)	0.02 (–0.50,0.54)	−0.16 (–0.70,0.39)
	2	75	3.28 (0.26)	90	3.49 (0.23)	66	3.21 (0.29)^c	0.26 (–0.42,0.94)	−0.08 (–0.67,0.52)	0.34 (–0.31,0.99)
	3	78	3.17 (0.23)	85	3.89 (0.22)	63	3.30 (0.25)^c	0.10 (–0.48,0.68)	−0.59 (–1.11, –0.06)	0.69 (0.12,1,25)
	4	74	3.66 (0.25)^d	88	3.74 (0.23)	61	3.43 (0.27)	0.26 (–0.42,0.94)	0.07 (–0.54,0.68)	0.19 (–0.48,0.85)
	5	75	3.32 (0.28)	100	3.82 (0.24)	66	3.87 (0.29)	−0.31 (–0.98,0.37)	−0.34 (–0.95,0.26)	0.04 (–0.60,0.67)
Satisfaction	0	101	6.72 (0.18)	126	6.47 (0.16)	93	6.31 (0.19)
in support	1	83	7.20 (0.17)^c	94	7.53 (0.16)^c	79	7.47 (0.18)^c	−0.47 (–0.91, –0.03)	−0.43 (–0.84, –0.01)	−0.04 (–0.47,0.39)
	2	77	7.32 (0.21)^c	90	7.47 (0.19)^c	67	7.49 (0.23)^c	−0.34 (–0.93,0.24)	−0.22 (–0.74,0.29)	−0.12 (–0.68,0.43)
	3	78	7.54 (0.18)^c	86	7.70 (0.17)^c	64	7.53 (0.20)^c	−0.17 (–0.67,0.34)	−0.23 (–0.69,0.23)	0.07 (–0.43,0.56)
	4	74	7.45 (0.20)^c	89	7.58 (0.18)^c	62	7.68 (0.22)^c	−0.41 (–0.95,0.14)	−0.20 (–0.70,0.30)	−0.21 (–0.74,0.32)
	5	75	7.22 (0.20)^c	100	7.71 (0.18)^c	69	7.41 (0.21)^c	−0.34 (–0.88,0.21)	−0.56 (–1.06, –0.06)	0.23 (–0.29,0.74)
Availability	0	101	2.14 (0.07)	123	2.01 (0.07)	90	1.91 (0.08)
of support	1	83	2.14 (0.09)	94	2.29 (0.08)^c	77	2.14 (0.09)^c	−0.12 (–0.34,0.11)	−0.20 (–0.41,0.01)	0.08 (–0.14,0.30)
	2	76	2.19 (0.10)	89	2.30 (0.09)^c	65	2.26 (0.11)^c	−0.17 (–0.43,0.10)	−0.17 (–0.40,0.07)	0.00 (–0.26,0.26)
	3	76	2.36 (0.09)^c	84	2.42 (0.08)^c	63	2.39 (0.09)^c	−0.15 (–0.38,0.08)	−0.12 (–0.33,0.10)	−0.03 (–0.26,0.20)
	4	74	2.42 (0.09)^c	89	2.28 (0.08)^c	62	2.41 (0.10)^c	−0.11 (–0.37,0.14)	0.10 (–0.13,0.33)	−0.21 (–0.46,0.04)
	5	73	2.44 (0.09)^c	100	2.45 (0.08)^c^,d	68	2.27 (0.09)^c	0.07 (–0.17,0.31)	−0.09 (–0.31,0.13)	0.17 (–0.06,0.39)
Availability	0	100	7.60 (0.23)	121	7.60 (0.21)	89	7.21 (0.24)
of support	1	83	7.76 (0.26)	93	7.95 (0.24)	75	7.57 (0.28)	0.00 (–0.65,0.65)	−0.12 (–0.72,0.48)	0.12 (–0.52,0.76)
from family	2	76	7.65 (0.27)	88	8.00 (0.25)	65	8.19 (0.30)^c^,d	−0.77 (–1.49, –0.05)	−0.31 (–0.96,0.33)	−0.45 (–1.15,0.24)
	3	76	8.39 (0.27)^c^,d	84	8.44 (0.25)^c^,d	61	8.10 (0.29)^c	0.02 (–0.67,0.71)	−0.05 (–0.68,0.59)	0.07 (–0.62,0.75)
	4	73	8.09 (0.26)	89	8.14 (0.24)^c	62	8.12 (0.28)^c	−0.35 (–1.04,0.35)	−0.08 (–0.72,0.55)	−0.26 (–0.94,0.42)
	5	74	8.48 (0.27)^c	100	8.59 (0.24)^c^,d	68	8.00 (0.28)^c	0.36 (–0.34,1.05)	−0.09 (–0.73,0.54)	0.45 (–0.21,1.11)
Availability	0	101	6.19 (0.18)	123	5.94 (0.16)	91	5.98 (0.19)
of support	1	83	6.23 (0.20)	94	6.16 (0.18)	77	6.42 (0.21)^c	−0.36 (–0.82,0.11)	−0.06 (–0.49,0.38)	−0.30 (–0.76,0.15)
from friends	2	77	6.53 (0.22)	89	6.19 (0.20)	65	6.43 (0.24)^c	−0.07 (–0.63,0.49)	0.22 (–0.28,0.71)	−0.29 (–0.83,0.25)
	3	76	6.32 (0.20)	86	6.65 (0.19)^c^,d	64	6.64 (0.22)^c	−0.49 (–0.99,0.01)	−0.47 (–0.93, –0.01)	−0.02 (–0.51,0.47)
	4	74	6.65 (0.21)^c	89	6.39 (0.20)^c	62	6.71 (0.24)^c	−0.25 (–0.83,0.33)	0.18 (–0.35,0.71)	−0.43 (–0.99,0.14)
	5	73	6.63 (0.21)^c	100	6.60 (0.18)^c	68	6.47 (0.21)^c	0.03 (–0.51,0.57)	−0.14 (–0.64,0.35)	0.17 (–0.34,0.68)
Availability	0	99	2.91 (0.12)	122	2.74 (0.11)	89	2.56 (0.13)
of support	1	82	3.04 (0.17)	93	3.62 (0.16)^c	76	3.02 (0.18)^c	−0.15 (–0.62,0.33)	−0.59 (–1.03, –0.15)	0.45 (–0.02,0.91)
from	2	75	3.10 (0.18)	89	3.63 (0.15)^c	65	2.92 (0.20)	−0.00 (–0.52,0.51)	−0.59 (–1.04, –0.14)	0.59 (0.10,1.08)
professionals	3	77	3.20 (0.18)	83	3.26 (0.17)^c^,d	57	3.15 (0.20)^c	−0.12 (–0.64,0.40)	−0.15 (–0.62,0.32)	0.03 (–0.48,0.54)
	4	74	3.54 (0.18)^c	88	3.07 (0.17)	62	3.25 (0.21)^c	0.10 (–0.44,0.64)	0.40 (–0.08,0.89)	−0.30 (–0.82,0.23)
	5	73	3.43 (0.17)^c	99	3.08 (0.15)^c	68	3.12 (0.18)^c	0.12 (–0.36,0.61)	0.20 (–0.24,0.64)	−0.08 (–0.54,0.38)

SPP, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; LPP, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy; SFT, solution-focused therapy.

^aIntention-to-treat (ITT) model: including the main effects of therapy group, follow-up time, and the difference between the theoretical and realized date of measurement, and first-order interaction of therapy group and time.

^bITT model adjusted for baseline of respective outcome variable.

^cA statistically significant change occurred in comparison with the value at the baseline (time point 0).

^dA statistically significant change occurred in comparison with the value at the previous time point. Underlined entries have P values < 0.05.

Knekt P, Lindfors O, editors. A randomized trial of the effect of four forms of psychotherapy on depressive and anxiety disorders. Design, methods, and results on the effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and solution-focused therapy during a one-year follow-up. Studies in social security and health. Helsinki: the Social Insurance Institution; 2004. https://www.thl.fi/attachments/HPS/HPS_effectiveness.pdf. Accessed online 5.12.2023.

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Lindfors O, Ojanen S, Jääskeläinen T, et al. Social support as a predictor of the outcome of depressive and anxiety disorder in short-term and long-term psychotherapy. Psychiatry Res. 2014;216(1):44–51. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.12.050.

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Data availability statement

The dataset cannot be publicly shared due to data protection issues (sensitive personal data).