Objective: This study explored the therapeutic outcomes of psychodynamic psychotherapy for Major depressive disorder (MDD) in comparison with pharmacotherapy. Methods: The focus of psychodynamic psychotherapy was on the superego pathology and its developmental backgrounds, while pharmacotherapy was done using SSRIs. A sample of 50 MDD patients was randomly selected by clinical interview using DSM-IV-TR. The presence and severity of the depressive symptoms were assessed using the MMPI-2 depression content scale as a symptom checklist, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Twenty five patients were selected for the psychoanalytic psychotherapy group and twenty five patients for pharmacotherapy. Results: The results indicated a comparable symptom reduction in the two groups. Conclusion: Clinical observations confirmed the psychodynamic inferences about the role of the superego pathology in MDD.
