Linking in-session change to overall outcome in short-term cognitive therapy.
To better understand the mechanisms of change in psychotherapy, it is important to validate suboutcome measures that represent intermediate links between more molecular in-session changes and ultimate outcome. The present study involved the collection of pre- and postsession ratings from 53 patients in a 20-session protocol of cognitive therapy, which yielded 5 suboutcome measures: Anxiety Shift, Depression Shift, Cognitive Shift, Optimism Shift, and Therapeutic Alliance. From a series of regression analyses of repeated measures with a generalized estimating equations approach, results regarding the predictive relationship of these variables to a number of patient and therapist-rated outcome criterion variables indicated that change in cognition and quality of the therapeutic alliance were the strongest predictors.
Muran
J C
JC
Brief Psychotherapy Research Project, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA.
Gorman
B S
BS
Safran
J D
JD
Twining
L
L
Samstag
L W
LW
Winston
A
A
D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome