Patient personality and psychotherapist reactions in individual psychotherapy setting: a systematic review

Abstract

Despite the importance of psychotherapists' subjective experiencse working with patients with mental issues, little is known about the relationship between therapists' emotional reactions and patients' personality problems. The present study is a systematic review of quantitative research on the association between patients' personality pathology and psychotherapists' emotional, cognitive and behavioural reactions in individual psychotherapy setting. A systematic database search (from January 1980 to August 2019) supplemented by manual searches of references and citations identified seven relevant studies. Significant and consistent relationships were found between therapist reactions and specific personality traits or disorders. In general, odd and eccentric patients tend to evoke feelings of distance and disconnection;

Psychological Distress in Healthcare Workers between the First and Second COVID-19 Waves: The Role of Personality Traits, Attachment Style, and Metacognitive Functioning as Protective and Vulnerability Factors

“…Indeed, it has been found that physicians' emotional responses can negatively influence medical safety [27][28][29]. Effective management of emotional responses occurs only when an individual is capable of tolerating and recognizing these responses and integrating them into a matrix of professional understanding [30,31]. Given that the pandemic may trigger the onset or worsening of psychological distress [12,[32][33][34], there is a considerable need for research that enables a deeper understanding of risk and protective factors for the mental health problems of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may help to inform support interventions for HCWs that will, in turn, have a positive impact on their patients.…”

The client’s function in the psychotherapy relationship: What clients experience and contribute.

“…This can contribute to the level of difficulty in treating clients with more profound or severe personality pathology. Interestingly, Stefana et al (2020) also found that personality pathology was negatively associated with a therapist's feelings of boredom and tiredness. At face value, feeling less bored or tired with a client would be a positive CT experience.…”

Managing Transference and Countertransference in Cognitive Behavioral Supervision: Theoretical Framework and Clinical Application

“…Stefana et al (2020) 32 conducted a systematic review of quantitative research on the relationship between the personality pathology of the patient and the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses of the psychotherapists in individual psychotherapy. Significant relationships between therapist responses and specific personality traits or disorders have been found.…”