A substantial body of research supports the effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy across a range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, panic, and stress-related conditions. Importantly, studies suggest that the benefits of this approach not only last after treatment ends, but often continue to grow over time.
In a widely cited review of the research, Jonathan Shedler analyzed multiple meta-analyses covering over 160 studies of psychodynamic therapy. Across these studies, patients showed large improvements in symptoms, with an average effect size of approximately 0.97. Follow-up data indicated that these gains increased over time, reaching an effect size of about 1.51 nine months or more after treatment had ended (American Psychological Association, 2010; Shedler, 2010).
This pattern—continued improvement after therapy concludes—suggests that psychodynamic work helps initiate deeper psychological changes, rather than providing only short-term symptom relief. Additional research has found that meaningful change is also seen in more complex and longstanding difficulties, such as personality patterns, which are often more resistant to treatment (Shedler, 2010).
Some studies examining actual therapy sessions have also found that approaches emphasizing emotional exploration, reflection, and attention to relationship patterns—core features of psychodynamic work—are associated with better outcomes across different types of therapy (Shedler, 2010).
A major meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that long-term psychodynamic therapy (typically 50 or more sessions) is effective for a range of complex mental health conditions and, in many cases, leads to greater improvement than shorter-term approaches (Leichsenring & Rabung, 2008).
In addition, a large-scale review by Jonathan Shedler, published in American Psychological Association’s journal American Psychologist, found that psychodynamic therapy produces substantial improvement across conditions such as depression and anxiety. Importantly, the benefits not only last after treatment ends but often continue to increase over time (Shedler, 2010).
