Study to watch: the DeeP trial

Written By Dan Sacks

The study: A protocol for a randomized trial at German CBT and psychodynamic training institutes: 240 trainees assigned to deliberate practice, structured feedback, both, or classic didactic training, with around 1,000 of their patients.

What they found: In the deliberate practice arm, trainees rehearse responses to difficult scenes with simulated patients, get expert feedback, adjust difficulty and repeat. Outcomes include trainees' facilitative interpersonal skills and patients' symptoms, measured after every session for 24 weeks, plus alliance ruptures. Results are not yet published.

Why it matters for practice: One of the first trials designed to test whether practice-based training reaches patient outcomes. Worth following.

Berning, A., Sell, S., Andersen, W., Strauß, B., & Taubner, S. (2024). Effects of deliberate practice and structured feedback in psychotherapy training (DeeP): A study protocol of a randomized-control-trial. BMC Psychology, 12, 719. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02015-x

Dan Sacks
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