Factors that contribute to posttherapy persistence of therapeutic change

Abstract

A psychometric analysis of the Whitehorn-Betz A-Toward effective counseling andpsychotherapy. Chicago: Aldine. A study of psychotherapeutic relationships between physicians and schizophrenic patients.Studied 30 outpatient, psychotherapy clients and assessed their relative change of status at termination and 6-months posttreatment. The vast majority of clients indicated improvement during the treatment period. A majority maintained or continued to make gains during the posttherapy period. Socioeconomic status, age, total psychotherapy sessions, initial neuroticism, and initial extraversion were identified as predictors of positive change in status at termination and follow-up. Socioeconomic status, negative life events, marital change, total psychotherapy sessions, initial neuroticism, and age were identified as variables that discriminated between those individuals who did and did not improve.

Control expectancies as predictors of psychotherapy outcome: A systematic review

“…Change towards internal locus of control of behaviour during therapy was shown to predict maintenance of therapy gains; while increasing externality in the course of therapy predicted relapse among stutterers (Craig, 1984). Findings from the present literature review do not instead support the hypothesis of general locus of control affecting therapy outcome (Dhee-Perot, Loss, Fremaux, & Delahousse, 1996;Kolb, 1986;Scharamski, 1984).…”

“…In a recent study, expected treatment adherence (intention to complete treatment) did not predict the actual adherence to an in‐patient crisis intervention programme for substance abuse (De Weert‐Van Oene, Schippers, De Jong, & Schrijvers, 2001). Using validated assessment measures, Schneider, Klauer, Janssen and Tetzlaff (1999) found that psychosomatic patients wishing psychotherapeutic treatment and expecting themselves to assume an active‐engaged patient role were able to benefit more from psychotherapy than patients with rather passive, medically oriented role expectations, although this was true for one outcome measure (interpersonal problems) but not for the other (global symptoms). The positive relationship between active role expectancies and symptom improvement was confirmed by a very recent study using the same expectancy measure (Timmer, Bleichhardt, & Rief, 2006).…”

Negative outcome in psychotherapy: A critical review.

“…The data reviewed here suggest that severity of symptoms as judged by the therapist or outside rater is related to treatment failure. General severity of the symptoms or disturbance has been linked to negative outcome in crisis intervention (Gottschalk, Mayerson, & Gottlieb, 1967), psychoanalysis (Kernberg et al, 1972; Weber, Elinson, & Moss, 1965), group therapy (Lieberman et al, 1973), and in uncontrolled therapies offered in an outpatient clinic (Schramski, Beutler, Lauver, Arizmendi, & Shanfield, 1984).…”

A Review of the Empirical Basis for Counseling: Implications for Practice and Training

“…In terms of counseling outcome, the picture is not as clear because less attention has been given to the relationship between socioeconomic status and outcome. Schramski, Beutler, Lauver, Arizmendi, and Shanfield (1984) found socioeconomic class to be a modest predictor of outcome and persistence in the therapeutic process.…”