REDIT-CT: Randomised Evaluation Study of DIT compared to CBT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
REDIT-CT: Improving Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Primary Care: An Evaluation Study of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) in a High-Intensity Comparator Sub-study
IRAS ID
146598
Contact name
Peter Fonagy
Contact email
Research summary
REDIT-CT aims to examine the feasibility of comparing the treatment of adult depression with Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) within mental health services. Together with the larger REDIT trial, REDIT-CT will help to inform a larger future multi-site RCT. This is in line with NICE guidelines which call for a study of the efficacy of short-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy compared to CBT in the treatment of moderate to severe depression. It aims to (a) establish whether patients with depression can be recruited, followed up over an appropriate time period and complete a fairly lengthy battery of measures; (b) gather preliminary information on likely numbers of patients who might opt for DIT over CBT, which will assist both patients in treatment choice and commissioners in planning adequate capacity; (c) investigating whether patients can be randomly assigned to CBT and DIT without violating preexisting patient preference (d) see how therapists from radically different traditions can cooperate on a research project and identify barriers to collaboration and ways of overcoming these. Additionally, it will further develop the Therapists Support Tool for identifying the appropriateness of patients for DIT.
A small sample of 40 subjects with moderate to severe depression will be randomly allocated to one of the two treatments (DIT or CBT). Both treatments will be delivered within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services for adults (age 18 upwards).
CBT will be administered as usual (flexible treatment length of 14-18 sessions over 16 weeks) and DIT as a structured time-limited treatment of 16 weekly sessions by therapists who have received specialist DIT or CBT training. There will be three research measurement points at baseline, mid-treatment (8 weeks), and after the end of treatment (17-18 weeks).
The study will run for approximately 12 months.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0183
Date of REC Opinion
18 Feb 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion