The Effectiveness of Empathic Dynamic Psychotherapy and Anxiety-Regulating Psychodynamic Therapy in Treating Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder

Objective: Dynamic psychotherapies are effective in treating anxiety disorders. However, little is known about their effectiveness in treating Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder (ASAD). The present research aimed to examine the effectiveness of Brief Empathic Psychotherapy (BEP) and anxiety-regulating dynamic therapy or Affect Phobia Therapy (APT) in reducing depression and anxiety in a sample of Iranian university students with ASAD symptoms. Methods: In total, 30 subjects were randomly assigned to three equal groups [two experimental (BEP and APT) groups and one control group]. Questionnaires were administered in pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up sessions. BEP and APT were provided to the experimental groups in 12 sessions over 4 weeks. All participants provided written informed consent during the pre-treatment assessment. Results: The results indicated that the measures of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales showed significant decreases in depression and anxiety in the experimental groups and BEP was more effective than APT in reducing depression, whereas APT showed more significant therapeutic effects than BEP on anxiety but not on depression. Conclusion: In summary, the results of the present research showed that psychodynamic psychotherapies are effective for treating anxiety disorders, especially ASAD, and have significant therapeutic effects on depression and anxiety.