Unpacking the active ingredients of internet-based psychodynamic therapy for adolescents

Internet-based psychodynamic psychotherapy (iPDT) for adolescents has been found to be effective for treating depression, but not much is known about its active ingredients. Objective: To explore the techniques used in chat sessions in an iPDT program for depressed adolescents, and to investigate whether they predicted improvement in depression symptoms. Method: The study uses data collected from a pilot study. The iPDT consisted of 8 modules delivered over 10 weeks that included text, video, exercises, and a weekly text-based chat session with a therapeutic support worker (TSW). The participants were 23 adolescents meeting criteria for depression. The TSWs were 9 psychology master’s students. A depression inventory QIDS-A17-SR was filled weekly by the participants, and a self-rated techniques inventory (MULTI-30) was filled by the TSWs after each chat session. Results: Common factor techniques were the most widely used techniques in the chat sessions. Both common factors and psychodynamic techniques predicted improvement in depression, with psychodynamic techniques predicting improvement at the following week. CBT techniques were also used but did not predict improvement in depression. Conclusion: iPDT seem to work in line with theory, where the mechanisms thought to be important for change in treatment were predictive of outcome.