Focus 1: The anxiety and depression Consensus Conference: a critical look
6 September 2023
Vol. 34 No. 2 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2023.793

A storm in a teacup: a commentary on the ‘Consensus conference on psychological therapies for anxiety and depression’

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Psychotherapy, anxiety and depression, scientific research, public-private, efficacy
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Silvia Paola Papini
sppapini@yahoo.it
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2824-9269
Psicologa, Psicoterapeuta, Responsabile scientifico ‘Gruppo Zoe. Per lo studio e la formazione sulla qualità e l’efficacia delle cure psichiche’, Coordinatore Italiano OPD-3, Socio Ordinario SIPRe, Italy.
Fabio Vanni
Psicologo, psicoterapeuta, Dirigente AUSL Parma, Direttore RP, Direttore Scientifico ‘Progetto Sum’, Italy.

This work is intended as a critical interpretation of the Consensus conference on psychological therapies for anxiety and depression which today comprises a document that is officially adopted by the Ministry of Health and is therefore the reference for operators in the sector. This formal authority makes it advisable for the document to be understood and assessed in depth. The main areas covered in the document are analyzed here, distinguishing between the report for the jury and the recommendations made by the jury itself. As we will see, there is a great difference between the two aspects and, therefore, the document itself contains some issues which the members of the jury themselves have already mentioned. However, others deserve attention: the insufficient examination of childhood and adolescence, the narrow perspective held on the types of studies considered useful, and the recommendations regarding training. These are serious limitations, which make the document in appearance anyway (albeit with the best intentions), an unconvincing text which needs extensive revision in order to reach acceptable standards.

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A storm in a teacup: a commentary on the ‘Consensus conference on psychological therapies for anxiety and depression’. (2023). Ricerca Psicoanalitica, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2023.793
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