Effectiveness Of Psychotherapeutic Treatment Research Articles

Analyzing Psychotherapeutic Failures: A Research on the Variables Involved in the Treatment With an Individual Setting of 29 Cases.

The effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments has been widely demonstrated and confirmed by many studies in recent decades. The research focused on the factors of change influencing the positive outcomes of a psychotherapy, putting those that are crucial in cases of failure into the background. The dimensions of this phenomenon are relevant as well as the side effects of the psychotherapeutic interventions that reach the same percentages of the pharmacotherapeutic treatments. The study of the variables involved in failure cases therefore seems important to prevent or moderate the negative effects of treatments with a negative outcome. Impasse and deadlock situations, which may result in an early interruption of psychotherapy, are often complex and involve situational, relational, and personal factors at different levels and with different weight. A research was conducted, with a mixed approach, aimed at exploring the situational factors involved in dropout cases. In addition, the evaluation of the psychotherapist’s emotional responses related to patients who terminated psychotherapy prematurely was investigated. The study was attended by a sample of 29 psychologists, experienced psychotherapists from different frameworks. Recent or salient cases of a hesitated psychotherapy with an early interruption were examined. For the first objective, a structured interview (Impasse Interview) was used, while the second one was reached by the administration of the TRQ (Therapist Response Questionnaire). The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed through a textual analysis software and five salient thematic clusters were identified. These were then assimilated to different areas of meaning: severity of the diagnosis, procedural aspects and lack of understanding of the stall in progress. Two other important themes emerged: the critical aspects concerning relational dynamics and a focus on maternal theme. Overall these five thematic areas seem to play an important and specific role compared to dropout cases. Finally, statistical analysis on emotional responses have highlighted some values above the average in these four countertransference factors: Helpless/Inadequate, Parental/Protective, Positive/Satisfied, and Overwhelmed/Disorganized. It is hypothesized that particular emotional responses of the psychotherapist may be prognostic with respect to the outcome of psychotherapy.

Effects of psychotherapeutic treatment on cortisol and alpha-amylase concentrations: An investigation in soldiers of the German Armed Forces suffering from PTSD

Effects of psychotherapeutic treatment on cortisol and alpha-amylase concentrations: An investigation in soldiers of the German Armed Forces suffering from PTSD

Is EBM an Appropriate Model for Research into the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy?

EBM, and the hierarchy of evidence it prescribes, is a controversial model when it comes to research into the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments. This is due in part to the so-called ‘Dodo Bird verdict’, which claims that all psychotherapies are equally effective, and that their effectiveness is largely due to the placebo effect. In response to this controversy, I argue that EBM can nevertheless be made to fit research into the effectiveness of psychotherapy, once a piecemeal approach to conducting RCTs is taken. Such an approach involves studying the contributions made by individual treatment components.

Translating the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) into Lithuanian

Viliū nienė R, Evans C, Hilbig J, Pakalniškienė V, Danilevičiū tė V, Laurinaitis E, Navickas A. Translating the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) into Lithuanian. Nord J Psychiatry 2012;Early Online:1–7. Background: There are no standardized tools in Lithuanian feasible for ongoing routine use to measure the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment. The CORE-OM is a widely used 34-item self-report measure for such purpose. Aims: To explore the reliability, validity and sensitivity of the Lithuanian translation of CORE-OM questionnaire. Methods: A validation study of the CORE-OM was conducted in the psychiatric clinic attached to Vilnius University. A Lithuanian translation of the English original CORE-OM was prepared by a team of translators. Then 39 psychotherapy outpatients and 187 students were asked to complete the Lithuanian version of the CORE-OM; 66 were tested twice to determine test–retest stability. Analysis included both internal and test–retest reliability, acceptability, influence of gender, principal component analysis and criteria for reliable and clinically significant change. Results: Internal and test–retest reliability were good (0.61–0.94), though somewhat lower for the risk domain (α: 0.57–0.79, Spearman's rho 0.25–0.60). Differences between scores of the clinical and non-clinical samples were large and significant (P < 0.001). Some of the Lithuanian criteria for clinically significant change were a bit lower than those of the original UK criteria (e.g. well-being) and others higher (symptoms, functioning, overall score), illustrating the need for local exploration. Conclusions: In spite of small differences in psychometric properties from the original, the Lithuanian version of the CORE-OM was reliable and sensitive in both clinical and non-clinical settings. It has the potential to become a practical, sensitive and reliable tool for psychotherapists in Lithuania. • CORE-OM; outcome measures; psychotherapy; reliability; validation.