Does psychoanalysis have a valuable place in modern mental health services? No.

It has been claimed, perhaps fairly, that psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapies have failed to promote a culture of systematic evaluation and that the outcomes are difficult to measure and demonstrate. Relative to the number of studies on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy, few adequate studies are available of psychodynamic therapy outcomes. A growing body of studies, however, report that psychodynamic therapy is effective in the treatment of both mild and complex mental health problems. For example, a meta-analysis found substantial effect sizes in randomised controlled trials of long term psychodynamic psychotherapy, larger than those for short term therapies.[1] Positive correlations were also seen between outcome and duration or dosage of therapy. Another metaanalysis found that psychotherapy in addition to antidepressants significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared with antidepressants alone.[2] A third meta-analysis found that short term psychodynamic psychotherapy may be more effective than other therapies for somatic disorders.[3] So evidence is on its way.