Unique and common mechanisms of change across cognitive and dynamic psychotherapies. |
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Authors: | Gibbons, Mary Beth Connolly Crits-Christoph, Paul Barber, Jacques P. Wiltsey Stirman, Shannon Gallop, Robert Goldstein, Lizabeth A. Temes, Christina M. Ring-Kurtz, Sarah |
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Abstract: | The goal of this article was to examine theoretically important mechanisms of change in psychotherapy outcome across different types of treatment. Specifically, the role of gains in self-understanding, acquisition of compensatory skills, and improvements in views of the self were examined. A pooled study database collected at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Psychotherapy Research, which includes studies conducted from 1995 to 2002 evaluating the efficacy of cognitive and psychodynamic therapies for a variety of disorders, was used. Patient samples included major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, and adolescent anxiety disorders. A common assessment battery of mechanism and outcome measures was given at treatment intake, termination, and 6-month follow-up for all 184 patients. Improvements in self-understanding, compensatory skills, and views of the self were all associated with symptom change across the diverse psychotherapies. Changes in self-understanding and compensatory skills across treatment were predictive of follow-up symptom course. Changes in self-understanding demonstrated specificity of change to dynamic psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
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Keywords: | mechanism cognitive therapy dynamic therapy psychotherapy outcome |
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