Paths to psychotherapy in the middle years: A longitudinal study

Abstract

This is a longitudinal study of the antecedents of entry into psychotherapy. The population studied consisted of 123 adults, aged 40–50, who had been subjects of long-term growth studies since childhood or early adolescence. These subjects were grouped according to whether or not they had sought psychotherapy within the period 1958–1970. Discriminant analysis was used to form composites of antecedent personality and life-course indicators that best distinguished those who sought psychotherapy in the study period from those who did not. Indicators of personality included a Q -sorted evaluation of psychological health and a series of assessment scales derived from the California Psychological Inventory; these variables were measured at the beginning of the study period. Indicators of life-events were obtained by systematically coding retrospective open-ended interviews that were conducted with each subject at the end of the study period. The two composites, along with indicators of demographic background, were entered into a path modelling procedure, to predict entry into psychotherapy. The analysis uncovered differences between men and women in the pattern of “therapy-prone” personality and life-course. Men who entered therapy exhibited acting-out and impulsive personality traits, coupled with a life-events profile indicative of role-failure. Women exhibited a general psychological distress profile, with few distinct life-course characteristics. The independent variables accounted for between 57 and 79% of the variance in therapy-seeking; personality and life-course accounted for the bulk of the variation.