title: Psychotherapists' self-reports of their interpersonal functioning and difficulties in practice as predictors of patient outcome.
abstract: The need for psychotherapy research to understand the therapist effect has been emphasized in several studies. In a large naturalistic study (255 patients, 70 therapists), this topic was addressed using therapists' self-assessed difficulties in practice and interpersonal functioning in therapeutic work as predictors of patient outcome in three conventional outcome measures. Three-level growth curve analyses were employed to assess whether the therapist characteristics, measured by the Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire (Orlinsky & Rønnestad, 2005), predicted the level of and change in patient symptom distress (SCL-90R), interpersonal problems (IIP-64), and observer-rated global functioning (GAF). Preliminary estimates of therapist effects in patient change indicated that 4% of change in general symptom distress (GSI), almost 21% of change in IIP global scores, and 28% of growth in GAF could be attributed to therapist differences. The results also demonstrated that certain therapist self-perceptions were clearly related to patient outcome. For example, therapists' scores on a type of difficulty in practice called "Professional self-doubt" (PSD) (denoting doubt about one's professional efficacy) were positively associated with change in IIP global scores. It is suggested that therapists' self-reported functioning can be of value in understanding how individual therapists contribute to therapeutic change although their influence is not necessarily exerted in expected directions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. h.a.nissenlie@psykologi.uio.no
authors.forename: Helene A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Nissen-Lie
authors.forename: Jon Trygve
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Monsen
authors.forename: Pål
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ulleberg
authors.forename: Michael Helge
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rønnestad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000078329:Workforce