Abstract
Background: This protocol presents a systematic residential treatment- and research program aimed at patients who have not responded adequately to previous treatment attempts. Patients included in the program primarily suffer from anxiety and/or depressive disorders and usually from one or more comorbid personality disorders. The treatment program is time-limited (eight weeks) and has its basis in treatment principles specified in intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP). This treatment modality is theoretically well-suited for the handling of various forms of treatment resistance presumably central to these patients' previous non-response to psychological and psychiatric interventions.Methods/Design: The research component of the project entails a naturalistic longitudinal research design which aims at systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of the program. To our knowledge, this is one of the first treatment programs and corresponding research projects that systematically select patients with previous non- or negative response to treatment and subjects them to a broad and comprehensive, but theoretically unified and consistent treatment system.Discussion: The present paper introduces the project, describes its theoretical and methodological underpinnings, and discusses possible future implications and contributions of the project. It thereby serves as a comprehensive background reference to future publications from the project.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 12 |
| Journal | BMC Psychiatry |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 18 2014 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:1. The initiative for “The Drammen Project” was first introduced by psychologists Bernt Langvasbråten, Marianne Fjugstad Hansen, and chief psychiatrist Henrich Bille at the Residential Facility of the Drammen District Psychiatric Center. The author was subsequently invited to participate in the planning, implementation and running of the project. 2. The project could not have been carried out without the substantial efforts from staff and administration at Thorsberg and at the Psychodynamic Unit. Acknowledgements are due to A. Reil, H. E. Fretheim, K. S. Undheim, A. K. Jetsmar, E. B. Opsal, A. Holmboe, A. Berglund, H. Bille, A. Falck, B. Langvassbråten, M. Fjugstad Hansen, Å. H. Seiertun, K. Bøen Keim, L. Borch, R. Sandvik Hansen, J. F. Bakkevig, K. Lohne, H. Brandt, G. Sollie, R. Galteland, K. Stokke, and not least A. K. Kleven. 3. Database systems and data resources were kindly made accessible by Professor Jon T. Monsen, University of Oslo. 4. The implementation of the project has been self-funded by the Residential Facility of the Drammen District Psychiatric Center. Time for drafting the article was funded by The Department of Psychology, University of Oslo (OAS) and Dalhousie University, Hallifax (AA).
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
