Future perspectives in psychotherapy

To date, the effectiveness of psychotherapy for the treatment of most mental disorders is empirically well documented. From an “evidence-based medicine” viewpoint, psychotherapy, as compared to other treatments in medicine, can be regarded as one of the most effective therapeutic approaches. The superiority of psychotherapy over pharmacotherapy is particularly pronounced in long-term treatment outcome studies. It is especially cognitive behavioral approaches, such as exposure response management and cognitive restructuring that have shown strong evidence of their efficacy and effectiveness in various populations and settings. However, evidence-based medicine is by definition oriented toward the past, as it only informs us about the well-established, empirically supported treatments. If we rely only on the currently available scientific evidence, new developments will be blocked. Since, for instance, many patients decline treatment, or do not seek professional help at all, there is a need for improvements regarding acceptance of established therapies. In addition, there ought to be scope for new, creative approaches, for which scientific evidence is not yet available. Promising developments include the mindfulness-based therapies, well-being therapy, the use of cognitive enhancers such as d-cycloserine, and Web-based therapies. There is also a trend in psychotherapy training toward teaching specific, disorder-oriented protocols or modules rather than universally applicable therapies. Finally, given the globalization of our societies, culture-sensitive psychotherapists should try to understand the cultural components of a patient’s illness and help-seeking behaviors, as well as their expectations with regard to treatment.