title: Narrative innovations predict symptom improvement: Studying innovative moments in narrative therapy of depression.
abstract: Innovative moments (IMs) are moments in the therapeutic dialog that constitute exceptions toward the client's problems. These narrative markers of meaning transformation are associated with change in different models of therapy and diverse diagnoses. Our goal is to test if IMs precede symptoms change, or, on the contrary, are a mere consequence of symptomatic 15 change.
  
  
  
  For this purpose, IMs and symptomatology (Outcome Questionnaire-10.2) were assessed at every session in a sample of 10 cases of narrative therapy for depression. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted to explore whether (i) IMs in a given session predict patients' symptoms in the following session and/or (ii) symptoms in a given session predict IMs in the next session.
  
  
  
  Results suggested that IMs are better predictors of symptoms than the reverse.
  
  
  
  These results are discussed considering the contribution of meanings and narrative processes' changes to symptomatic improvement.
authors.affiliation: a CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, Psychotherapy and Psychopathology, Research Unit, School of Psychology , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: a CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, Psychotherapy and Psychopathology, Research Unit, School of Psychology , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.
authors.forename: AntÓnio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: a CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, Psychotherapy and Psychopathology, Research Unit, School of Psychology , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: a CIPsi - Psychology Research Center, Psychotherapy and Psychopathology, Research Unit, School of Psychology , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.|b ISMAI , Avioso São Pedro , Portugal.
authors.forename: InÊs
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: c Department of Mathematics and Applications , University of Minho , Braga , Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sousa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062525:Narrative Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: depression; narrative therapy; process of change; psychotherapy