Planning Of Psychotherapy Research Articles

Effectiveness of Internet-delivered self-help acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) on nurses' obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial with 3-month follow-up

BackgroundFrontline nurses suffered unprecedented mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's essential to explore new and more accessible alternatives to improve the availability of psychological treatments. This study aimed to investigate the influence of online self-help iACT linear intervention and iACT loop intervention on sleep quality (SQ), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and psychological flexibility (PF) in nurses. MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted at a hospital in China. 602 participants were randomly assigned to the iACT linear intervention, iACT loop intervention, or wait list control group, and required to complete the questionnaires of OCS, PF and SQ. The linear mixed effects analysis (LMM) was used to analyze the impact of the intervention on outcome variables. ResultsLMM analyses demonstrated that both two intervention had significant improvement on OCS (t = −38.235, p < 0.001), PF (t = 28.156, p < 0.001), as well as SQ (t = −16.336, p < 0.001). There were significant differences between the linear group and loop group on the PF in T2 (t = −8.271, p < 0.001), T3 (t = −8.366, p < 0.001), T4 (t = −8.302, p < 0.001), with the iACT loop model (Cohen's d = 1.652) showing a slight advantage over the iACT linear model (Cohen's d = 1.134). ConclusionsThe findings indicate that two interventions positively impact OCS, PF, and SQ. Compared to the iACT linear psychotherapy model, the iACT loop model shows greater effectiveness in enhancing PF, making it helpful to promote significant improvements in psychotherapy planning.

Mediating role of psychological flexibility in the effect of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on sleep quality among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Front-line nurses suffered unprecedented mental distress and severe insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Present study aimed to explore the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality and examine the potential mediating role of psychological flexibility between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality. A total of 496 nurses from a Chinese large-scale Class 3A Comprehensive Hospital were included in an online cross-sectional survey and completed the revised obsessive-compulsive inventory (OCI-R), Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). As predicted, obsessive-compulsive symptoms were negatively associated with psychological flexibility and sleep quality, and psychological flexibility was positively associated with sleep quality. In addition, the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality was partially mediated by psychological flexibility, which can provide some reference for the treatment of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and insomnia, and lead to improvements in clinical and psychotherapy planning.

Application of the SRQ20 and the protocol of psychological assessment in patients with leprosy in a Reference Centre in Brazil

This study aims to apply the protocol of psychological assessment (PAP) and the SRQ-20 to analyse the psychological profile of 130 leprosy patients, in order to evaluate the incidence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD), and screen patients with higher risk of psychological distress. The following results were found in the PAP: 31.53%, 23.8% and 16.9% reported an unsatisfactory childhood, adolescence and adulthood, respectively; 31.53% are afraid of being discriminated against and 16.9% experienced discrimination. Also, 13.07% reported drastic life changes due to leprosy; 29.23% have low self-esteem, 31.53% have real fear and 22.3% have phantasmal fear. In the SRQ-20, the prevalence of CMDs was 32.3%, with the majority being female, married, with low education (primary education), low self-esteem, and with a drastic change in life. Conclusion: This is one of the few studies on the psychological profile of leprosy patients demonstrating the importance of the application of investigative technologies in psychopathological screening, aiming on adherence to treatment and psychotherapy planning. Furthermore, it provides support for reflection on the integrality of healthcare for leprosy patients and the importance of psychologists in health teams.

Q-sort-Methoden in Diagnostik und Therapieverlaufsbeobachtung

Does quantifying psychotherapy research do justice to its subject matter? Q-sort techniques are presented for the assessment of personality pathology, mental and interpersonal problems, as well as for quantifying the psychotherapeutic process. In studies on psychotherapy planning we identified mechanisms characteristic of nonresponders which could be efficiently captured with q-sort methods. From these clinically relevant intervention techniques can be derived. In psychoanalytic process research we operationalized relevant microelements in the patient-therapist interaction. Q-sort methods are efficient and helpful for studying research questions that are clinically relevant but often difficult to grasp as well as for dismantling studies.

Integrating outcome research and clinical reasoning in psychotherapy planning.

This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of outcome research and clinical reasoning as bases of treatment planning and presents a synthesis in which these two types of information complement each other. The author proposes that therapy planning should begin with a review of the relevant outcome literature and also that divergence from research-based guidelines might be warranted under several conditions, including (a) when the client is demographically or culturally dissimilar to the study samples, (b) when assessment suggests a mismatch between the etiologies of the client’s disturbance and the processes addressed by empirically supported treatments, and (c) when use of such treatments is followed by a lack of progress that signals the advisability of midcourse correction.

Gender aspects in the planning of psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder

The aim of the study was to generate hypotheses for examining gender-specific variables with predictive value for the planning of successful psychotherapy in patients with borderline personality disorder. Anxiety, aggression, interpersonal problems, locus of control and self-concept were investigated in twenty psychiatric inpatients before and after psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy lasting for six weeks. Women in gender-matched patient-therapist dyads gained insight into relationships between anxiety, aggression and interpersonal problems to the extent that they experienced them as ego-syntonic problems and as a concern of their own self-concept, and were therefore able to engage in further outpatient psychotherapy. Men more often remained in regressive resistance and in narcissistically boosted conviction of self-efficacy, with simultaneous persistence of aggression and non-engagement in further psychotherapy. The results underline the importance of considering gender role stereotypes and suggest the significance of gender-sensitive attitudes in dealing with aggression and exploring attachment styles and reflective functioning.

Utilization of psychotherapy in patients with personality disorder: The impact of gender, character traits, affect regulation, and quality of object‐relations

The aim of the study was to generate hypotheses for examining gender differences in variables with predictive value for the utilization of psychotherapy in patients with personality disorders (PDs). Personality traits, affect experience and regulation, the quality of object relations and interpersonal problems within the process of psychotherapy planning were assessed in 140 psychiatric outpatients. Besides the structured clinical interviews for DSM-IV I+II, variables were assessed with the Shedler-Westen assessment procedure (SWAP-200), the affect regulation and experience Q sort (AREQ), the quality of object-relations scale (QORS), and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP). Correlation and group difference statistics, regression and canonical correlation analysis were performed. Predictors concerning the utilization or non-utilization of psychotherapy were a schizoid PD rating a self-report of subassertive behaviour related to interpersonal problems in women, and a narcissistic PD rating in men. Canonical correlations between predictors and quality of object relations or interpersonal problems were found in women, while in men there was merely a tendency for predictor and affect regulation to be related. The results suggest that for men it is more important to interpret the dominating affect, while for women, understanding the pathological object relation pattern is useful for successful therapy planning.

Predicting Psychotherapy Utilization for Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder

The purpose of this study was to create hypotheses that would serve as predicting variables in the planning of psychotherapeutic treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Twenty psychiatric inpatients were treated with psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy for 6 weeks with the aim of clarifying, planning, and preparing them for outpatient psychotherapy. The authors investigated anxiety, aggression, interpersonal problems, and self-concept before and after inpatient treatment. Nine patients engaged in further outpatient psychotherapy. Significant predictors for engaging in further treatment were female gender, strong subjective perception of interpersonal problems, and generalized negative self-concept of own capacities. High reactive readiness for aggression and thorough conviction of self-efficacy had predictive value for nonengagement in further psychotherapy. Correlations between aggression and increased capability of one's self and severe interpersonal problems were found only in psychotherapy nonusers. Results emphasize the importance of acknowledging mechanisms of destruction, attachment, and mentalization in initial psychotherapy planning.

Use of the Rorschach in planning psychotherapy.

Research has shown that the Rorshach can be used to identify people who benefit from psychotherapy; the critical variable in that assessment is form level. One way of looking at form level is as a reflection of ego strength, and one can conclude that the level of ego strength and all of the implications regarding information-processing, meaning-making, and the capacity for logical and realistic thinking would, then, seem to be associated with benefiting from psychotherapy. This finding was extended to suggest that this Rorschach assessment of ego strength is related to the kind of psychotherapy a person might or should be offered; that is, whether it should be supportive or exploratory or short-term and problem-centered. Rorschach data can also be helpful in identifying whether treatment-disruptive transferential reactions or resistances exist. In light of the information which can be gleaned from the Rorschach, it seems reasonable to suggest that the Rorschach should be used routinely in the planning of psychotherapy.

Psychotherapeutic Strategy and Neurotic Excoriations

This article sketches the planning of psychotherapy as a treatment for neurotic excoriations (NE). The program is developed on the basis of information collected in an investigation of 63 consecutive, first-time referrals of NE patients to a dermatology department, and the findings from a follow-up after 1 to 5 years. The offer of social advice and support, but not psychotherapy, was included in the investigation program. At the time of follow-up, NE had healed for 13 of the 63 patients. The information gathered indicates that a treatment model should be eclectic in form so as to allow for individual variances in, for example, age, intelligence level, and motivation for psychiatric intervention.