A 5-year follow-up study of psychotherapy. The stability of changes in self-concept.
This 5-year study examined students who were in individual psychotherapy. The specific interest of the study was in the stability of changes in their self-concept after psychotherapy. Students who were patients at the Dental Health Care Unit were used as a control group. Self-concept was measured by a multidimensional measure which consisted of four dependent variables: symptoms, Beck's Depression Inventory, self-image test and general progress during therapy. Changes in self-concept were presented as change profiles which showed that statistically significant changes had occurred in the experimental group during the 5-year follow-up study. However, the profile of the control group remained unchanged. The results of this follow-up study provide strong evidence for the stability of changes produced by psychotherapy. On the basis of LISREL models the 5-year results were best predicted by the 2-year results. The situation at the outset of psychotherapy predicted only 17% of the results after 5 years.
Pahkinen
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Health Service Jyväskylä, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
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D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010553:Personality Development; D010556:Personality Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013333:Student Health Services