Alberto Stefana, Eduard Vieta, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Eric A Youngstrom
{"title":"Assessing the psychotherapist's affective reactions toward their patient: validation of the <i>Clinician Affective REsponse (CARE) scales</i>.","authors":"Alberto Stefana, Eduard Vieta, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Eric A Youngstrom","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2465432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2465432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> This study aims to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Clinician Affective REsponse (CARE) scales, a 15-item self-report measure designed for practical use in psychotherapy settings. <b>Methods:</b> Validation data were gathered from 151 mental health clinicians. These clinicians completed the CARE scales alongside measures capturing sociodemographic and professional details, patient demographics and clinical details, therapeutic intervention characteristics, therapeutic relationship elements, and session outcomes. <b>Results:</b> The CARE scales had a three-factor structure: positive engagement (<i>k </i>= 5, <i>ω </i>= .78), enmeshed (<i>k </i>= 5, <i>ω </i>= .72), and stuck (<i>k </i>= 5, <i>ω </i>= .71). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yielded the following fit indices for the three-factor model: <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>(87) </sub>= 120.41, CFI = .94; TLI = .93, RMSEA = .05, and SRMR = .08. Multigroup CFA (which pooled two samples for a total of 607 subjects) showed that the CARE scales were invariant across remote and in-person session formats. The scales showed meaningful correlations with concurrent measures of working alliance, real relationship, countertransference, patient's experience of the therapeutic relationship, and session outcome. <b>Discussion:</b> The CARE scales are a valuable instrument in clinical, training, and research contexts, adept at capturing clinicians' session-level affective responses and perceptions of the therapeutic relationship. Quantifying these reactions facilitates statistical analysis and empirical research, while their monitoring can guide therapeutic interventions and inform clinical supervision.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"\"I know that all this is me\" Pathways of change in complex dissociative disorder.","authors":"Ingunn Holbæk, Karianne Vrabel, Margrethe Seeger Halvorsen","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2457402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2457402","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This qualitative study explored changes described by individuals with complex dissociative disorders (CDDs) 2 years after participating in a psychoeducative group. Few recent studies have examined the early changes from incomprehensible reactions to the integration of traumatic events.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Interviews were conducted with 25 participants with CDD 2 years after completing a 20-week psychoeducative skills training group. Transcripts were analysed using an interpretive phenomenological framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three pathways of change were identified: (1) the ability to be present in life, (2) ways of approaching internal conflicts and (3) the degree of ownership of the self. These pathways illustrate the initial steps towards integration, in which participants start recognizing and confronting previously avoided emotions and experiences. This allows them to better tolerate and accept more of themselves. Processes varied among the participants, with some achieving cohesive integration of challenging memories.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Traditionally, there has been little treatment optimism for individuals with CDD. This study highlights the potential for comprehensive change within 2 years. It contributes to the debate on whether focusing on coping strategies delays trauma memory integration, emphasizing the need for a balance between exposure and coping based on the patient's capacity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143450054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Delatraba, R Jódar, C López-Cavada, A Pascual-Leone
{"title":"Emotion cascade: Harnessing emotional sequences to enhance chair work interventions and reduce self-criticism.","authors":"A Delatraba, R Jódar, C López-Cavada, A Pascual-Leone","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2460535","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2460535","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examines if experiencing the sequence of primary maladaptive emotions followed by primary adaptive emotions in-session predicts therapeutic change and whether this sequence mediates the impact of therapist emotional reflections on outcomes at post-treatment and follow-up.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Nineteen participants with high self-criticism underwent 10-12 sessions of emotion-focused therapy (EFT). Therapist responses focusing on emotions, thoughts, and actions were coded for two sessions (sessions 6-12) during the initial 10 minutes prior to chair work. Clients' emotional states were coded using the Classification of Affective Meaning States (CAMS) during the subsequent chair work. Self-criticism and depression were measured at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Primary maladaptive emotions and the transformational sequence (primary maladaptive followed by adaptive emotion) predicted reductions in self-criticism at post-treatment, with the transformational sequence also predicting improvements at follow-up. The impact of therapist focus on emotions on depression and self-criticism at post-treatment and follow-up was mediated by the transformational sequence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The transformational sequence predicts therapeutic outcomes and mediates the impact of therapist responses focused on the client's emotion and therapeutic results. Implications for therapist training are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jasmin Gryesten, Christian Moltu, Stig Poulsen, Elisabeth Belmudez Biering, Kirsten Møller, Kirstine Dichmann, Sidse Marie Arnfred
{"title":"Personalization of structured group psychotherapy through add-on interventions: A potential for active engagement.","authors":"Jasmin Gryesten, Christian Moltu, Stig Poulsen, Elisabeth Belmudez Biering, Kirsten Møller, Kirstine Dichmann, Sidse Marie Arnfred","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2462146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2462146","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) in group psychotherapy has shown varied results, as personalizing therapy for multiple patients is challenging. This study explored the impact of ROM and individual Add-On Interventions (AOIs) for patients with depression who were not progressing during Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (GCBT). We followed the research question, \"How can individual AOIs contribute to patients' therapy courses?\".</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We interviewed patients and therapists involved in GCBT with ROM and individual AOIs prompted by Not-On-Track alerts. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes related to participants' experiences. Three cases were selected to illustrate the structure of the themes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The main theme, \"AOIs: Potential for active engagement,\" was constituted by seven subthemes concerning the influence of ROM, therapeutic collaboration, shared decision-making, allowing for person-tailored interventions, and the dynamic between group and individual sessions. The potential for active engagement was nurtured through flexible awareness, as patients shifted between a first-person perspective and an external perspective on their therapy process.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individual AOIs, prompted by patient feedback, could create opportunities for reflection and engagement. However, the impact was shaped by the therapeutic relationships, the shared decision-making process, and the extent to which the AOIs offered complementary approaches to group psychotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143383822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improved dropout prediction in group cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) using classification trees.","authors":"Ashleigh G Cameron, Andrew C Page, Geoff R Hooke","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2460327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2460327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Dropout is a major factor undermining the effectiveness of psychotherapy, however, it remains poorly anticipated in clinical practice. Classification trees may offer simple, accessible, and practical solutions to identifying patients at-risk of dropout by synthesizing potentially complex patterns of relationships among intake measures.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Intake variables were collected from day-patients who attended a Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) group program at a private psychiatric hospital between 2015 and 2019. Based on these variables, two classification trees were trained and tested to predict dropout in (1) a weekly group, and (2) an intensive daily program.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dropout was lower in the intensive treatment (Weekly CBT = 21.9%, Daily CBT = 13.2%), however, in both programs, the number of comorbid diagnoses was the most important factor predicting dropout. Overall balanced accuracy was comparable for both tree models, with the Weekly CBT model identifying 63.18% of dropouts successfully, and the Daily CBT model identifying dropouts with 62.06% accuracy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings suggest that comorbidity may be the most important factor to consider when assessing dropout risk in CBT, and that dropout can be predicted with moderate accuracy early in therapy via simple models. Furthermore, findings suggest that condensed, intensive treatments may bolster patient retention.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143257033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Maintaining relevance in psychodynamic psychotherapy: A novel approach to discerning between effective vs. ineffective discourse correlated with better session outcomes.","authors":"Mor Bar, Amit Saad, Noa Weiss, Shlomo Mendlovic","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2455466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2455466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Maintaining relevance in a psychodynamic dialogue is a nuanced task, requiring therapists to balance between following patients' free associations while avoiding less effective interventions. Identifying less effective sequences of talk is especially challenging given the diversity of psychodynamic approaches and methodological barriers to analyzing session discourse. This study introduces a novel approach using the MATRIX coding system, an evidence-based tool, to differentiate content correlated with better session outcomes.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Transcripts of 367 sessions were coded using the MATRIX. Therapist Out-of-MATRIX utterances, indicating a deviation from core therapeutic focus, were examined for their predictive value. Outcome measures included the next-session alliance and patient functioning scores. Two machine-learning-based models, using the Random Forest algorithm, predicted session-by-session changes in clinical outcomes based on MATRIX codes, and interpreted using the SHapley Additive exPlanations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Therapist Out-of-MATRIX utterances accurately predicted next-session changes in alliance and patient functioning scores. Our model also identified an optimal dose-effect relationship for the number of Out-of-MATRIX interventions needed for effective therapy session.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates the potential of using contemporary research tools to analyze therapeutic discourse, revealing how psychotherapy produces its benefits. Its scope extends beyond prediction, providing practical recommendations on how to enhance therapists' performance and outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143256981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"\"Vulnerability can breed strength\": The role of borderline personality disorder severity in movement synchrony among patients with major depressive disorder.","authors":"Galit Peysachov, Manar Shehab, Yael Bouknik, Keren Deres-Cohen, Pavel Goldstein, Sigal Zilcha-Mano","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2458174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2458174","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objective:</b> Patients with Major depressive disorder (MDD) and a comorbid Borderline personality disorder (BPD) show a poorer prognosis for MDD compared to patients without BPD. Little is known about the therapeutic processes underlying this prognosis. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether patients with more severe BPD symptoms experience less strengthening in patient-therapist movement synchrony (MS) throughout treatment, and whether less strengthening in MS is associated with less effective sessions. <b>Method:</b> Ninety-five patients participating in a randomized control trial were assessed for BPD (<i>N</i> = 9) using the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality. 1367 video-taped sessions were analyzed for MS using Motion Energy Analysis. Session effectiveness was evaluated following each session using a one-item scale taken from the Helping Skills Measure. Multilevel models were used to assess whether BPD severity predicted MS throughout treatment, and whether MS predicted session effectiveness. <b>Results:</b> Patients with more severe BPD symptoms experienced greater strengthening in MS throughout treatment. Less MS strengthening was associated with less session effectiveness. <b>Conclusion:</b> These findings indicate unique therapeutic processes that characterize individuals with more severe BPD symptoms. Shedding light on these unique processes has the potential to contribute to the personalization of MDD treatment for patients with BPD.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143257030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mick Cooper, David Saxon, Charlie Duncan, Robert Scruggs, Michael Barkham, Peter Bower, Karen Cromarty, Peter Pearce, Megan Rose Stafford
{"title":"Therapist Interpersonal Skills and Outcomes for Young People.","authors":"Mick Cooper, David Saxon, Charlie Duncan, Robert Scruggs, Michael Barkham, Peter Bower, Karen Cromarty, Peter Pearce, Megan Rose Stafford","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2457398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2457398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Our primary aim was to assess the associations between outcomes and therapist interpersonal skills (TIS) of empathy, congruence, regard, and unconditionality, as rated by young people. We also aimed to compare these associations against outcome-alliance associations, and to assess whether these associations were specific to a TIS-prioritizing therapeutic practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our primary sample was 167 13-16-year-olds who exhibited emotional symptoms and received up to 10 weeks of school-based humanistic counseling plus pastoral care as usual (SBHC + PCAU). Young people were predominantly female (76%), with 45% Black or other minoritized identity. We measured TIS with the Barrett Lennard Relationship Inventory; and used linear regression modeling to assess TIS associations with outcomes on psychological distress, wellbeing, and satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>TIS, most markedly congruence, were significantly associated with outcomes, contributing approximately 3% of change. TIS and alliance explained similar proportions of outcomes, with a model including only congruence showing the best fit on psychological distress and wellbeing. We did not find consistent evidence that the TIS-outcome association was specific to humanistic counseling.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Therapists and lay professionals working with young people should strive to develop their interpersonal skills-particularly congruence-within the context of other relationship skills, qualities, and characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143123818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clara Paz, Alejandro Unda-López, Jorge Valdiviezo-Oña, Juan Fernando Chávez, Jonathan Elias Herrera Criollo, Lizbeth Toscano-Molina, Chris Evans
{"title":"Mapping the growth of the CORE system tools in psychotherapy research from 1998 to 2021: Learning from historical evidence.","authors":"Clara Paz, Alejandro Unda-López, Jorge Valdiviezo-Oña, Juan Fernando Chávez, Jonathan Elias Herrera Criollo, Lizbeth Toscano-Molina, Chris Evans","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2025.2457389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2457389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) system was launched in 1998 intended to support the development of practice-based evidence and to reduce the research/practice gap. Since then, CORE instruments have been widely used.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To map the utilization of the CORE system as reflected in peer-reviewed literature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We followed the guidelines for conducting a scoping review.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 721 papers from 1998 to 2021 citing the CORE system, with 636 of them referencing its use in clinical settings. There has been a marked increase in use of the system over that period. All CORE instruments were used at least once, spanning 39 countries and 24 languages. Papers had a broad spectrum of objectives and populations across diagnoses and settings, aligning with the authors' planned versatility for the CORE system.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the light of the findings, we present a guide to enhance the reporting of work utilizing the CORE system. This could be applied to all practice-based evidence data collection, CORE or otherwise.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143123815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Psychotherapy ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2024-01-30DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2023.2294888
Rolf Sandell, Fredrik Falkenström, Martin Svensson, Thomas Nilsson, Håkan Johansson, Gardar Viborg, Sean Perrin
{"title":"Moderators of short- and long-term outcomes in panic control treatment and panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy.","authors":"Rolf Sandell, Fredrik Falkenström, Martin Svensson, Thomas Nilsson, Håkan Johansson, Gardar Viborg, Sean Perrin","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2294888","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2294888","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective was to test the hypothesis that externalizing and internalizing helpfulness beliefs and learning styles at baseline moderate panic severity and overall mental illness as short-term and long-term outcomes of two panic-focused psychotherapies, Panic Control Treatment (PCT) and Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PFPP).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Participants were 108 adults with DSM-IV Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia (PD/A) who were randomized to treatment in a trial of PCT and PFPP. Piece-wise/segmented multilevel modeling was used to test three-way interactions (Treatments × Moderator × Time), with participants and therapists as random factors. Outcome variables were clinician-rated panic severity and self-rated mental illness post-treatment and during follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients' externalizing (but not internalizing) helpfulness beliefs moderated mental illness outcomes during follow-up (but not during treatment); low levels of Externalization were facilitative for PFPP but not PCT. Internalizing and externalizing helpfulness beliefs and learning style did not moderate clinician-rated panic severity, whether short- or long-term.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results suggest that helpfulness beliefs and learning style have limited use in assignment to either PCT or PFPP for PD/A. Although further research is needed, low levels of helpfulness beliefs about externalizing coping may play a role in mental illness outcomes for PFPP.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"271-281"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139643148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}