Research on PIT

There have been numerous research studies on PIT, including studies of its efficacy as a psychological treatment, on the process of PIT, and on PIT training. A list of relevant references is provided below. Click on a reference to open its abstract and, where possible, a complete version of the article in a separate window. If you encounter problems with this, please check that your browser allows pop-ups from this site.

Presentation on Metaphor in PIT Powerpoint

Evidence of efficacy for depression

Barkham, M., Rees, A.,1 Shapiro, D. A., Stiles, W. B. et al (1996). Outcome of time-limited psychotherapy in applied settings: replicating the Second Sheffield Psychotherapy Project. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64: 1079-1085.

Guthrie, E., Moorey, J., Margison, F., Barker, H., Palmer, S., McGrath, G., Tomenson, B. & Creed, F. (1999). Cost-effectiveness of Brief Psychodynamic-Interpersonal Therapy in High Utilizers of Psychiatric Services. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56; 519-526.

Shapiro, D. A., Barkham, M., Hardy, G. E., & Morrison, L. A. (1990). The Second Sheffield Psychotherapy Project: rationale, design and preliminary outcome data. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 63, 97-108.

Shapiro, D., Rees, A., Barkham, M. & Hardy, G. (1995). Effects of Treatment Duration and Severity of Depression on the Maintenance of Gains after Cognitive-Behavioural and Psychodynamic-Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63 (3): 378-387.

Evidence of efficacy for functional (‘medically unexplained’) symptoms

Creed, F., Fernandes, L., Guthrie, E., Palmer, S., Ratcliffe, J., Read, N., Rigby, C., Thompson, D. & Tomenson B. North of England IBS Research Group. (2003). The cost-effectiveness of psychotherapy and paroxetine for severe irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology, 124(2):303-17

Creed, F., Guthrie, E., Ratcliffe, J., Fernandes, L., Rigby, C., Tomenson, B., Read, N., & Thompson, D.G. (2005). Reported sexual abuse predicts impaired functioning but a good response to psychological treatments in patients with severe irritable bowel syndrome.    Psychosomatic Medicine, 67:490-499

Creed, F., Ratcliffe, J., Fernandes, L., Palmer, S., Rigby, C., Tomenson, B., Guthrie, E., Read, N. & Thompson, D.  (2005). Outcome in severe irritable bowel syndrome with and without accompanying depressive, panic and neurasthenic disorders.  British Journal of Psychiatry, 186: 507-15

Creed, F., Guthrie, E., Ratcliffe, J., Fernandes, L., Rigby, C., Tomenson, B., Read, N. & Thompson DG.  (2005). Does psychological treatment help only those patients with severe irritable bowel syndrome who also have concurrent psychiatric disorder?  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 39:807-815

Creed, F., Tomenson, B., Guthrie, E., Ratcliffe, J., Fernandes, L., Read, N., Palmer, S. & Thompson, D. G.   (2008). The relationship between somatisation and outcome in patients with severe irritable bowel syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64 (6): 613-20

Guthrie, E., Creed, F., Dawson, D. & Tomenson, B. (1991). A controlled Trial of Psychological Treatment for the Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Gastroenterology, 100: 450-457.

Guthrie E. 2019. Psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy (PIT) approaches to gastrointestinal conditions. In: Psychogastroenterology for Adults: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals. , pp. 236-253

Hamilton, J., Guthrie, E., Creed, F., Thompson, D., Tomenson, B., Bennett, R., Moriarty, K., Stephens, W. & Liston, R.  (2000). A Randomised Controlled Trial of Psychotherapy in Patients with Chronic Functional Dyspepsia.  Gastroenterology, 119: 661-669.

Howlett S, Guthrie E. 2001. Use of farewell letters in the context of brief psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy with irritable bowel syndrome patients. British Journal of Psychotherapy. 18(1), pp. 52-67 

Hyphantis, T., Guthrie, E., Tomenson, B. & Creed, F. (2009). Psychodynamic interpersonal therapy and improvement in interpersonal difficulties in people with severe irritable bowel syndrome. Pain. 145; 196-203.

Mayor, R., Howlett, S., Grunewald, R. & Reuber, M. (2010). Long-term outcome of brief augmented psychodynamic interpersonal therapy for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Seizure control and healthcare utilization. Epilepsia, 51, 1169-1176.

Reuber, M., Burness, C., Howlett, S., Brazier, J., Grunewald, R. (2007) Tailored
psychotherapy for patients with functional neurological symptoms: a
pilot study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 63, 625–632.

Sattel, H., Lahmann, C., Gündel, H,. Guthrie, E., Kruse, J., Noll-Hussong, M., Ohmann, C., Ronel, J., Sack, M., Sauer, N., Schneider, G. & Henningsen, P. (2012). Brief psychodynamic interpersonal psychotherapy for patients with multisomatoform disorder: randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 100, 60-67.

Evidence of efficacy for self harm

Guthrie, E., Kapur, N., Mackway-Jones, K., Chew-Graham, C., Moorey, J., Mendel, E., Marino-Francis, F., Sanderson, S., Turpin, C., Boddy, G. & Tomenson B.  (2001). Randomised controlled trial of brief psychological intervention after deliberate self-poisoning.  British Medical Journal, 323: 135-138

Guthrie, E., Kapur, N., Mackway-Jones, K., Chew-Graham, C., Moorey, J., Mendel, E., Marino-Francis, F., Sanderson, S., Turpin, C. & Boddy, G.  (2003). Predictors of outcome following brief psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy for deliberate self-poisoning.  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 37:532-536

Evidence of efficacy for borderline personality disorder

Korner, A., Gerull, F., Meares, R., & Stevenson, J. (2006). Borderline personality disorder treated with the conversational model: a replication study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 47, 406-411

Stevenson, J. & Meares, R. (1992). An outcome study of psychotherapy for patients with borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 358-62

Stevenson, J., Meares, R. & D’Angelo, R. (2005). Five year outcome of outpatient psychotherapy with borderline patients. Psychological Medicine, 35, 79-87.

Walton CJ, Bendit, N, Baker, AL, Carter GL, Lewin TJ. (2020) A randomised trial of dialectical behaviour therapy and the conversational model for the treatment of borderline personality disorder with recent suicidal and/or non-suicidal self-injury: An effectiveness study in an Australian public mental health service. Aust. NZ J Psychiatry 54 (10) 1020-1034

Abstract

Objectives: Borderline personality disorder is a complex mental disorder that is associated with a high degree of suffering for the individual. Dialectical behaviour therapy has been studied in the largest number of controlled trials for treatment of individuals with borderline personality disorder. The conversational model is a psychodynamic treatment also developed specifically for treatment of borderline personality disorder. We report on the outcomes of a randomised trial comparing dialectical behaviour therapy and conversational model for treatment of borderline personality disorder in a routine clinical setting.

Method: Participants had a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and a minimum of three suicidal and/or non-suicidal self-injurious episodes in the previous 12 months. Consenting individuals were randomised to either dialectical behaviour therapy or conversational model and contracted for 14 months of treatment (n = 162 commenced therapy). Dialectical behaviour therapy involved participants attending weekly individual therapy, weekly group skills training and having access to after-hours phone coaching. Conversational model involved twice weekly individual therapy. Assessments occurred at baseline, mid-treatment (7 months) and post-treatment (14 months). Assessments were conducted by a research assistant blind to treatment condition. Primary outcomes were change in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious episodes and severity of depression. We hypothesised that dialectical behaviour therapy would be more effective in reducing suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour and that conversational model would be more effective in reducing depression.

Results: Both treatments showed significant improvement over time across the 14 months duration of therapy in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury and depression scores. There were no significant differences between treatment models in reduction of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury. However, dialectical behaviour therapy was associated with significantly greater reductions in depression scores compared to conversational model.

Evidence for PIT in psychosis

Davenport, S., Hobson, R., Margison, F., (2000). Treatment Development in Psychodynamic Interpersonal Psychotherapy (Hobson’s “Conversational Model”) For Chronic Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: Two Single Case Studies. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 16(3); 287-300.

Dementia studies

Burns A, Guthrie E, Marino-Francis F, Busby C, Morris J, Russell EK, Margison F, Lennon S, Byrne J. 2005. Brief psychotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease. British Journal of Psychiatry. (187), pp. 143-147http://Brief psychotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease | The British Journal of Psychiatry | Cambridge Core 

Evidence that PIT is effective and cost-effective in routine clinical practice

Guthrie E. 1999 et al,. Cost-effectiveness of Brief Psychodynamic-Interpersonal Therapy in High Utilizers of Psychiatric Services. Archives of General Psychiatry. 56(6), pp. 519-526

Paley, G., Cahill, J., Barkham, M., Shapiro, D., Jones, J., Patrick, S. & Reid, E. (2008). The effectiveness of psychodynamic interpersonal therapy in routine clinical practice: A benchmarking comparison. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 81, 157-175.

Evidence that PIT can be used by relatively inexperienced therapists

Guthrie, E.,   Margison, F.,  Mackay, H.,  Chew-Graham, C.,  Moorey, J. & Sibbald, B.  (2004). Effectiveness of psychodynamic interpersonal therapy training for primary care counsellors.  Psychotherapy Research, 14(2) 161–175.

Mackay, H. C., West, W., Moorey, J., Guthrie, E. &  Margison, F. (2001). Counsellors’ experiences of changing their practice.  Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research,1:33-37

Shaw, C. M, Margison, F. R, Guthrie, E. A & Tomenson, B. (2001). Psychodynamic interpersonal therapy by inexperienced therapists in a naturalistic setting: A pilot study. European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling & Health, 4(1), 87-101

Training in PIT

Guthrie E, Hughes R, Brown RJ. 2018. PI-E: An empathy skills training package to enhance therapeutic skills of IAPT and other therapists. British Journal of Psychotherapy. 34(3), pp. 408-427

Margison, F. (1991) Learning to listen: teaching and supervising basic psychotherapeutic skills. In Textbook of Psychotherapy in Psychiatric Practice (ed. Holmes, J.) pp. 165–186. London: Churchill Livingstone

Studies on PIT process

Elliott, R., Shapiro, D.A., Firth-Cozens, J., Stiles, W.B., Hardy, G.E.,
Llewelyn & Margison, F.R. (1994). Comprehensive process analysis of insight events in cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapies. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 41, 449-463. 

Hardy, G.E., Stiles, W.B., Barkham, M., & Startup, M. (1998). Therapist Responsiveness to Client Interpersonal Styles During Time-Limited Treatments for Depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 304-312.

Goldfried, M. R., Castonguay, L. G., Hayes, A. M., Drozd, J. F., &
Shapiro, D. A. (1997). A comparative analysis of the therapeutic focus in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic-interpersonal sessions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 740-748.

Hardy, G. E., Aldridge, J., Davidson, C., Rowe, C., Reilly, S., & Shapiro,
D. A. (1999). Therapist responsiveness to client attachment styles and issues observed in client-identified significant events in psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research, 9, 36-53.

Hardy, G.E., Barkham, M., Shapiro, D.A., Reynolds,S., Rees, A., & Stiles,
W.B. (1995a). Credibility and outcome of cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34, 555-569. 

Hardy, G.E., Barkham, M., Shapiro, D.A., Rees, A., Stiles, W.B., &
Reynolds, S. (1995b). Impact of cluster C personality disorders outcomes of contrasting brief psychotherapies for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 997-1004.

Hardy, G. E. & Shapiro, D. A. (1985). Therapist response modes in
Prescriptive vs. Exploratory psychotherapy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 24, 235-245.

Kerr, S., Goldfried, M., Hayes, A., Castonguay., & Goldsamt, L. (1992).
Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Focus in Cognitive–Behavioral and Psychodynamic–Interpersonal Therapies: A Preliminary Analysis of the Sheffield Project. Psychotherapy Research, 2(4), 266-276.

Mackay, H. C., Barkham, M., & Stiles, W. B. (1998). Staying with the
feeling: An anger event in psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 279-289.

Mackay, H. C., Barkham, M., Stiles, W. B., & Goldfried, M. R. (2002).
Patterns of client emotion in helpful sessions of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 49, 376-380.

Raue, P.J., Goldfried, M.R., Barkham, M. (1997). The therapeutic
alliance in psychodynamic-interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 582-7.

Reynolds, S., Stiles, W. B., Barkham B., Shapiro, D. A., Hardy, G. E., &
Rees, A. (1996). Acceleration of changes in session impact during contrasting time limited psychotherapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 577-586.

Shapiro, D. A., Barkham, M., Rees, A., Hardy, G. E, Reynolds, S., &
Startup, M. (1994). Effects of treatment duration and severity of depression on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 522-534.

Shapiro, D. A., Barkham, M., Rees, A., Hardy, G. E, Reynolds, S., &
Startup, M. (1995). Effects of treatment duration and severity of depression on the maintenance of gains following cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 378-387.

Stiles, W.B., Agnew-Davies, R., Hardy, G.E., Barkham, M., & Shapiro,
D.A. (1998). Relations of the alliance with psychotherapy outcome: Findings in the Second Sheffield Psychotherapy Project.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 791-802.

Stiles, W. B., Barkham, M., Shapiro, D. A., & Firth-Cozens, J. (1992).
Treatment order and thematic continuity between contrasting psychotherapies: Exploring an implication of the assimilation model. Psychotherapy Research, 2, 112-124.

Stiles, W. B., & Shapiro, D. A. (1995). Verbal exchange structure of brief
psychodynamic-interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 15-27.

Stiles, W.B., Shapiro, D.A. & Firth-Cozens, J.A. (1988a). Do sessions of
different treatments have different impacts? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 35, 391-396. 

Stiles, W. B., Shapiro, D. A. & Firth-Cozens, J. A. (1988b). Verbal
response mode use in contrasting psychotherapies: A within-subjects comparison. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 727-733.

Stiles, W.B., Startup, M., Hardy, G.E., Barkham, M., Rees, A., Shapiro,
D.A. & Reynolds, S. (1996). Therapist session intentions in cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 43, 402-414. 

General papers and chapters describing PIT

Brown, R, Bardsley, S & Herbert, V 2016, Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy. in Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy. 4 edn, Sage Publications Ltd

Guthrie E. (1999) Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy  Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 5(2) 135-145