Research group Stockholm University research group for Process and Outcome in Psychodynamic therapies (SU-POP)

Our research focus is mainly on process and outcome in psychodynamic therapy (PDT) in various formats – standard psychotherapy setting, internet-delivered treatment, and online psychotherapy.

Our group have several ongoing research projects focusing on different interventions for patient populations with varying types of distress:

• The ERiCA project concerns affect-focused internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy (IPDT) for adolescents with depression. So far, three randomized controlled trials have been carried out within the project.
• In collaboration with Northern Stockholm Psychiatry, a project is carried out that tries the feasibility of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) in group format for psychiatric patients with complex and long-lasting disorders.
• During the covid-19 pandemic a project started that investigates patients’ and therapists’ experiences of transition from standard psychotherapy setting to telepsychotherapy. The aim is to learn for the future about hybrid and online therapies.
• Another project is underway where the effects and experiences of undergoing emotion-focused digital interventions (EAET/ISTDP) for patients with long-term physical symptoms are being investigated.
• A project that is in the start-up phase concerns mentalization training for psychiatric staff.

We collaborate with professor Peter Wennberg, Department of Public Health Sciences, and professor Fredrik Falkenström, Linnæus University.

Group members

Group managers

Björn Philips

Professor

Department of Psychology

08-16 20 10

bjorn.philips@psychology.su.se

See profile page for Björn Philips

Members

David Anders Forsström

Researcher

Department of Psychology

david.forsstrom@psychology.su.se

See profile page for David Anders Forsström

Peter Lilliengren

Associate Professor

Department of Psychology

08-16 38 82

peter.lilliengren@su.se

See profile page for Peter Lilliengren

Karin Lindqvist

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

08-16 39 41

karin.lindqvist@psychology.su.se

See profile page for Karin Lindqvist

Malin Cecilia Ljungdahl

Project Coordinator

Department of Psychology

malin.ljungdahl@su.se

See profile page for Malin Cecilia Ljungdahl

Daniel Maroti

Researcher

Department of Psychology

08-16 39 24

daniel.maroti@su.se

See profile page for Daniel Maroti

Jakob Mechler

Researcher

Department of Psychology

jakob.mechler@psychology.su.se

See profile page for Jakob Mechler

Malin Ryen

PhD Student

Department of Psychology

malin.ryen@su.se

See profile page for Malin Ryen

Camilla von Below

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

08-16 38 38

camilla.vonbelow@psychology.su.se

See profile page for Camilla von Below

Research projects

Ongoing

Completed

EaRly internet-based interventions for Children and Adolescents (ERiCA)

The ERiCA project started with the development of an internet-delivered psychodynamic treatment (IPDT) for adolescent depression. The treatment has been tested in two published research studies with good results. A third study was completed in December 2024.

Emotion-focused digital interventions for patients with medically unexplained symptoms

Functional somatic syndromes (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia) and medically unexplained symptoms (e.g. chronic primary pain) are very common in primary care. These patients make 14 times more doctor visits than the general population, but describe themselves as less satisfied with the care they receive.

Group therapy in psychiatric care for complex and long-term problems

In psychiatric care, there is a great need for new effective treatments for patients with complex and long-term problems, who have not been sufficiently helped by the treatments they have undergone so far. In this project, we are testing a short group treatment for this patient group: ISTDP-G (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy - Group).

Mentalizing Skills for staff at psychiatric wards

More research is needed on what training programmes for staff are needed to improve care for patients with serious mental illnesses and conditions.

Transitions to telepsychotherapy, COVID-19 pandemic, personality orientation and attachment style

Transitions to telepsychotherapy, personality orientation and attachment style: Learning from COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on provision of psychotherapy.