Can you see what I see? A comparison of client and observer perspectives of the alliance and group cohesion in CBT.

Both therapeutic alliance and group cohesion have been identified as "demonstrably effective" relationship elements in therapy. However, the overwhelming majority of process-outcome research has relied on clients as raters of the therapeutic relationship. A lack of convergence between client, therapist, and observer perspectives has raised questions regarding how best to measure relationships in therapy. Interest in observational measures has grown, as they may offer more objective and reliable measurements of process. This study compared the predictive validity of client and observer ratings of the alliance (Agreement and Bond) and group cohesion in the context of group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders. Results showed that client and observer ratings of process were not significantly correlated, and regarding the alliance, only client-rated Agreement predicted client-rated treatment gains. In contrast, both client and observer-ratings of group cohesion were found to uniquely contribute to treatment outcomes. If replicated, the findings from the present study suggest that (1) while client ratings of alliance consistently predict client-rated outcomes, the predictive validity of observer measures has yet to be established, and (2) both clients and observers provide meaningful and distinct information about group cohesion in therapy.

Which, who and when? Therapeutic processes in group cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety disorders.

The evidence for the effect of therapeutic alliance in group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders is unclear. Identifying whether the alliance-outcome relationship depends on (1) which components are assessed, (2) who is measuring the alliance and (3) when the alliance is measured will help to clarify the role of the client-therapist relationship in therapy. The present study explored the effects of alliance component (agreement vs. bond), rater perspective (client vs. therapist) and timing (early vs. late therapy) on the alliance-outcome relationship. Individuals with an anxiety disorder enrolled into transdiagnostic group CBT were studied, with n = 78 at early therapy and n = 57 at late therapy. Results showed that greater client-rated agreement significantly predicted improved post-treatment outcomes throughout the course of therapy, while stronger client-rated bond in late therapy predicted reduced treatment gains. In contrast, therapist perceptions of agreement and bond were not associated with post-treatment outcomes at any point in therapy. Client-reported group cohesion also was not associated with additional variance in outcome after accounting for client-rated alliance. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the client's perception of the client-therapist relationship in CBT for anxiety disorders, as well as distinguishing the effects of component, rater and timing in future process-outcome studies.

[Psychotraumatological aspects in intensive care medicine]. / Psychotraumatologische Aspekte in der Intensivmedizin.

In the context of intensive care medicine, patients, their relatives, and more infrequently members of the ICU team can be affected by potential trauma. Acute stress disorder often results. Psychological symptoms of critically ill patients should therefore be regularly screened in a standardized manner in order to be able to identify and treat patients with a high symptom burden. Some traumatic stressors in intensive care medicine can be reduced using trauma-sensitive communication. Psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions can complement this basic care. High quality communication with relatives contributes to a risk reduction with regard to their subsequent psychological stress. On the part of the ICU team, stress should be differentiated from potentially traumatizing events and both problem areas should be dealt with preventively. After experiencing a traumatic event during work, a procedure analogous to physical work accidents is recommended.

Predictors of Anxiety and Depression Symptom Improvement in CBT Adapted for Traumatic Brain Injury: Pre/Post-Injury and Therapy Process Factors.

OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the association of demographic/preinjury, injury-related, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) process variables, with anxiety and depression symptom change in traumatic brain injury (TBI)-adapted CBT (CBT-ABI). METHODS: The audio recordings of 177 CBT-ABI sessions representing 31 therapist-client dyads were assessed from the independent observer perspective on measures of working alliance, homework engagement, and therapist competency in using homework. RESULTS: Linear regressions showed that older client age, longer post-TBI recovery period, better executive functioning, higher levels of client homework engagement, as well as higher levels of therapist competence in reviewing homework were associated with greater improvement in anxiety and/or depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: CBT-ABI is a promising treatment for post-TBI depression and anxiety. The current study highlights how therapists can enhance CBT-ABI effectiveness, specifically: comprehensive facilitation of client homework engagement with emphasis on homework review, and accommodation of executive deficits. The current study also suggests that the role of client age and the length of post-TBI recovery period require further investigation.

Does involving patients in treatment decisions affect perceptions of treatments and therapists?

Psychotherapists may offer patients more or less involvement when deciding on a treatment. The aim of the present research was to examine whether perceptions of the treatment and therapist differ when a therapist uses a paternalistic style in making treatment decisions or a more collaborative approach, in which the patient helps in selecting treatment. In the study, 172 participants, recruited from a university setting and a national sample, listened to a simulated conversation representing either a paternalism or informed-choice model of a therapist-patient interaction. The participants then rated their expectation the treatment would help the patient, their perception of the therapist's trustworthiness, and their own preference for relying on clinicians for knowledge and decisions. Analysis indicated that among participants preferring to rely on clinicians, perceptions did not differ reliably based on the type of interaction they heard. However, participants wanting more involvement in treatment choices perceived greater treatment effectiveness and clinician trustworthiness for the interaction in which the patient was offered treatment choices. These results suggest that if therapists adopt a collaborative approach, it has the potential to enhance perceptions of individuals preferring the collaborative style without negatively affecting those who prefer less involvement in treatment decisions.

Implementation of a Web-Based Work-Related Psychological Aftercare Program Into Clinical Routine: Results of a Longitudinal Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: As inpatient medical rehabilitation serves to promote work ability, vocational reintegration is a crucial outcome. However, previous Web-based trials on coping with work-related stress have been limited to Web-based recruitment of study participants. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the implementation of an empirically supported transdiagnostic psychodynamic Web-based aftercare program GSA (Gesund und Stressfrei am Arbeitsplatz [Healthy and stress-less at the workplace])-Online plus into the clinical routine of inpatient medical rehabilitation, to identify characteristics of patients who have received the recommendation for GSA-Online plus, and to determine helpfulness of the intervention and satisfaction of the participants as well as improvement in quality of life and mental health status of the regular users of GSA-Online plus. METHODS: GSA-Online plus was prescribed by physicians at termination of orthopedic psychosomatic inpatient rehabilitation. Participants' use of the program, work-related attitudes, distress, and quality of life were assessed on the Web. RESULTS: In 2 rehabilitation centers, 4.4% (112/2562) of rehabilitants got a recommendation for GSA-Online plus during inpatient rehabilitation. Compared with usual person aftercare, the Web-based aftercare program was rarely recommended by physicians. Recommendations were made more frequently in psychosomatic (69/1172, 5.9%) than orthopedic (43/1389, 3.1%) rehabilitation (χ21=11.845, P=.001, Cramér V=-0.068) and to younger patients (P=.004, d=0.28) with longer inpatient treatment duration (P<.001, r=-0.12) and extended sick leaves before inpatient medical rehabilitation (P=.004; Cramér V=0.072). Following recommendation, 77% (86/112) of rehabilitants participated in Web-based aftercare. Completers (50/86, 58%) reported statistically significant improvements between discharge of inpatient treatment and the end of the aftercare program for subjective work ability (P=.02, d=0.41), perceived stress (P=.01, d=-0.38), functioning (P=.002, d=-0.60), and life satisfaction (P=.008, d=0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians' recommendations of Web-based aftercare are well accepted by patients who derive considerable benefits from participation. However, a low rate of prescription compared with other usual aftercare options points to barriers among physicians to prescribing Web-based aftercare.

Developing a prototype for short-term psychodynamic (supportive-expressive) therapy: An empirical study with the psychotherapy process Q-set.

OBJECTIVE: A Psychotherapy Process Q-set (PQS) prototype characteristic of short-term psychodynamic therapy (STPP) does not yet exist. METHOD: Experts in supportive-expressive (SE) therapy used the 100-Item PQS questionnaire to rate an ideal short-term SE therapy. RESULTS: Agreement between raters was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). The prototype for SE therapy showed a significant correlation with the psychoanalytic prototype, but with 28% of variance explained, the majority of variance of the former was not explained by the latter or vice versa. Furthermore, the SE prototype showed significant correlations with the cognitive-behavioral prototype and the prototype of interpersonal therapy by Ablon and Jones (r = 0.69, 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend using the PQS prototype presented here for future process research on STPP.

The relation between prototypical processes and psychological distress in psychodynamic therapy of five inpatients with borderline personality disorder.

UNLABELLED: Five inpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) participated in 6 months of three times per week psychodynamic therapy (PDT). Patients completed a measure of psychological distress every week. A total of 127 sessions were audiotaped and coded using the psychotherapy process Q-set (PQS) and correlated with PQS prototypes of five treatment models-PDT, cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, transference focused psychotherapy and dialectical behaviour therapy. Prototypical CBT process was most prevalent in three of the five PDT-labelled treatments. Prototypical PDT process significantly decreased over time in three of the five treatments. Prototypical process correlations with time were inversely proportional to prototypical process correlations with distress levels. In a multiple regression model that included all five prototypical process correlations across these three treatments, CBT and transference focused psychotherapy predicted distress reduction, whereas PDT predicted increases in distress. PQS items most negatively correlated with distress included the therapist's emphasis on feelings, empathic attunement and control over the interaction. Discussion of dreams or fantasies and therapist aloofness were most positively correlated with distress. An effective PDT treatment model for severely disturbed BPD inpatients requires technical flexibility to supplement CBT processes such as control over the interaction that can structure intense interpersonal dysregulation and stabilize distress. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Practitioners and their patients sense which prototypical processes to increase or decrease over time to reduce patients' distress. An effective PDT treatment model for severely disturbed BPD patients needs to integrate and encourage the emergence of empathically attuned interactions in the context of a highly structured therapy experience. Practitioners need to be flexible enough to change intervention strategies when they seem to be increasing distress in severely disturbed BPD patients.

Retaining critical therapeutic elements of behavioral interventions translated for delivery via the Internet: recommendations and an example using pain coping skills training.

Evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapies has spurred interest in translating these interventions for delivery via the Internet. However, the benefits of this dissemination method cannot be realized unless the translated interventions are as effective as possible. We describe a challenge that must be overcome to ensure this occurs--Internet interventions must retain therapeutic components and processes underlying the success of face-to-face interventions on which they are based. These components and processes vary in the ease with which they can be translated to the online environment. Moreover, some are subtle and may be overlooked, despite being recognized as essential to the success of face-to-face interventions. We provide preliminary guidance for retaining critical therapeutic components and processes in the translation process, using Pain Coping Skills Training for osteoarthritis pain to illustrate methods. Directions for future research are also discussed.

Use of Therapeutic Milieu Interventions in a Psychiatric Setting: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic environment is commonly acknowledged as a significant influence on mental inpatient treatment experiences and outcomes. Therapeutic milieu interventions provide a distinct, secure hospital ward/unit atmosphere where patients with mental illness receive therapeutic interactions and collaborative attentiveness. The review aimed to explore the studies related to the role of a nurse using therapeutic milieu/milieu therapy in a psychiatric setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted between 1976 and 2021 using PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, and Scopus. A total of 13 papers were identified for a full review. RESULTS: A total of 70 studies were found, out of which 13 of them were analyzed. These studies looked at several therapeutic milieu concepts, such as therapeutic communication, patient satisfaction, nurse involvement, ward design and structure, and a mixture of therapeutic milieu concepts. Most of the studies explored the concepts of milieu therapy in community settings. CONCLUSION: In the mental health nursing literature, the milieu, as well as milieu therapy, is a well-debated subject. Though the importance of therapeutic milieu in psychiatric settings is recognized, empirical studies on milieu implementation are scarce. Therefore, research is needed to explore the effectiveness of milieu therapy in inpatient psychiatric care, which facilitates patient recovery, safety, and good interpersonal relationships.

Psychotherapeutic and neurobiological processes associated with ayahuasca: A proposed model and implications for therapeutic use.

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive Amazonian plant brew. It is usually made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (Spruce ex Griseb. Morton, Malpighiaceae), which contains three primary harmala alkaloids, along with the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Ruiz et Pavon, Rubiaceae) in which the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is found. DMT-harmaloid concoctions have gained popularity in recent years, due to growing anecdotal and scientific reports of therapeutic benefits associated with their consumption. Ayahuasca is now ingested in a variety of different settings across the globe, from traditional ethnobotanical to so called "neo-shamanic" ceremonies. Furthermore, related preparations involving alternative sources of DMT and harmala alkaloids are becoming increasingly common as knowledge of ayahuasca continues to spread internationally. This article reviews the existing literature and draws on original qualitative data from a large cross-sectional study of ayahuasca drinkers, to propose a model of psychotherapeutic processes associated with the consumption of ayahuasca. We assert that it is these processes, facilitated by a range of neurobiological effects, that lead to beneficial mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Our proposed model identifies five key psychotherapeutic processes or effects inherent to the ayahuasca experience; somatic effects; introspection and emotional processing; increased Self-connection; increased spiritual connection, and finally the gaining of insights and new perspectives. We note some important differences in these processes compared with other classic psychedelics as well as the implications of the model for the therapeutic use of ayahuasca. Improved understanding of the psychotherapeutic processes involved with the ayahuasca experience will better equip practitioners to work with this potentially transformative concoction and enable the optimization of therapeutic treatment models for potential clinical use.

Elements of the therapeutic relationship in CBT for anxiety disorders: A systematic review.

To optimise the effects of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders, research has increasingly focussed on understanding mechanisms of change. Specifically, the therapeutic relationship has been identified as a potential "active ingredient" of therapy. The evidence for the effects of eleven elements of the therapeutic relationship (alliance, collaboration, goal consensus, group cohesion, empathy, positive regard, feedback, emotional expression, outcome expectations, treatment credibility, alliance rupture-repair) on treatment outcomes in CBT for anxiety disorders was systematically reviewed. Fifty unique studies were included, and findings were qualitatively reviewed and summarised. Results revealed consistent and sizeable evidence for the cohesion-outcome and expectation-outcome relationships. There was emerging evidence for the effects of collaboration, empathy, and alliance rupture-repair on outcomes. However, the evidence for goal consensus and credibility on outcomes was limited. Notably, review of the alliance literature revealed substantial inconsistencies across studies. No studies were identified for positive regard, feedback, and emotional expression. Overall, further research is needed to clarify the role of the therapeutic relationship in CBT for anxiety disorders. These findings will contribute to the conceptual integration of therapeutic relationship constructs in cognitive behavioural models, and help to improve treatments and outcomes for individuals.

Joint Consultation by a Neurogeneticist of Movement Disorders and a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist: An Occasion for Subjectivization.

We set out to model a joint therapeutic setting meant to address both medical care and the transferential processes at stake in specialized neurogenetics consultations. Previous authors have explored joint consultation settings with a specialized physician and a psychodynamically oriented psychotherapist, however, few have attempted to provide a model of its transfero-countertransferential dynamics. We aim to do the latter by focusing on a subset of patients to whom such consultations are offered "on the spot." We want to explore situations in which they initially deny the transference's contribution to their complaint, when addressing it would instead prove to be beneficial to them, even medically speaking. Standard neurogenetics consultations put the physician in a double-bind position. These patients' conflicting complaint both manifests transferential expectations and denies them by adhering to medical elements. Since the physician's challenge is to avoid colluding with the patient's denial, a joint setting would enable him to address the medical content of the patient's complaint while simultaneously letting its transferential elements emerge, allowing for the psychotherapist to use them to induce subjective integration (subjectivization). We conceptualize this jointly induced subjectivization by drawing on Fain's work on primary hystericization of the complaint (inspired by Freud's late indications). We finish with an example of subjectivization of a family's complaint based on an adolescent's limb tremor, which had no genetic or neurological etiology. Its seemingly conversional nature appeared in light of her father's reaction to our subjectivizing response: his latent transference was likely underlying his daughter's symptom.

Agents of change: Understanding the therapeutic processes associated with the helpfulness of therapy for mental health problems with relational agent MYLO.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the therapeutic processes associated with the helpfulness of an online relational agent intervention, Manage Your Life Online (MYLO). METHODS: Fifteen participants experiencing a mental health related problem used Manage Your Life Online for 2 weeks. At follow-up, the participants each identified two helpful and two unhelpful questions posed by Manage Your Life Online within a single intervention session. Qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic and content analysis to gain insight into the process of therapy with Manage Your Life Online. RESULTS: MYLO appeared acceptable to participants with a range of presenting problems. Questions enabling free expression, increased awareness, and new insights were key to a helpful intervention. The findings were consistent with the core processes of therapeutic change, according to Perceptual Control Theory, a unifying theory of psychological distress. Questions that elicited intense emotions, were repetitive, confusing, or inappropriate were identified as unhelpful and were associated with disengagement or loss of faith in Manage Your Life Online. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide insight into the likely core therapy processes experienced as helpful or hindering and outlines further ways to optimize acceptability of Manage Your Life Online.

[Psychotraumatological aspects in intensive care medicine]. / Psychotraumatologische Aspekte in der Intensivmedizin.

In the context of intensive care medicine, patients, their relatives, and more infrequently members of the ICU team can be affected by potential trauma. Acute stress disorder often results. Psychological symptoms of critically ill patients should therefore be regularly screened in a standardized manner in order to be able to identify and treat patients with a high symptom burden. Some traumatic stressors in intensive care medicine can be reduced using trauma-sensitive communication. Psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions can complement this basic care. High quality communication with relatives contributes to a risk reduction with regard to their subsequent psychological stress. On the part of the ICU team, stress should be differentiated from potentially traumatizing events and both problem areas should be dealt with preventively. After experiencing a traumatic event during work, a procedure analogous to physical work accidents is recommended.

Early Change Trajectories in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Binge-Eating Disorder.

Rapid response is considered the most well-established outcome predictor across treatments of binge-eating disorder (BED), including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This study sought to identify latent trajectories of early change in CBT and compare them to common rapid response classifications. In a multicenter randomized trial, 86 adults with BED (DSM-IV) or subsyndromal BED provided weekly self-reports of binge eating over the first 4 weeks of CBT, which were analyzed to predict binge eating, depression, and body mass index at posttreatment, 6-, and 18-month follow-up. Using latent growth mixture modeling, three patterns of early change-including moderate and low decreasing-as well as low stable binge eating were identified, which significantly predicted binge-eating remission at 6-month follow-up. Other classifications of rapid response based on Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analyses or on the literature (≥ 10% reduction in binge eating at week 1, ≥ 70% reduction in binge eating at week 4) only predicted posttreatment remission or overall depression, respectively. Latent change trajectories, but not other rapid response classifications, predicted binge-eating frequency over time. A fine-grained analysis of change over the first 4 weeks of CBT for BED revealed different trajectories of early change in binge eating that led to an improved prediction of binge-eating outcome, compared to that of common rapid response classifications. Thorough monitoring of early change trajectories during treatment may have clinical utility.

Contrasting Cases in Two Psychotherapeutic Processes Based on Integrative Behavior Couple Therapy / Contraste de casos en dos procesos psicoterapéuticos basados en la terapia de pareja conductual integradora

The present study proposes an evaluation of the therapeutic process in relation to the follow-ing aspects: the therapist adherence, the items which are more and less characteristic in the treatment and the interaction structures, along the therapeutic process of two cases of couple therapy,one with significant positive clinical change and one with significant negative clinical change, in the couple's evaluation. This work used Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy mod-el, one of the approaches of the third wave therapies.The method was a study of contrasting cases. The similarities and differences between the cases were discussed, reaching the conclu-sion that there are aspects of the couple, the therapist, the therapeutic relationship and the context that may have contributed to the different outcomes. (AU)

El presente estudio propone una evaluación del proceso terapéutico en relación con los siguientes aspectos: la adherencia del terapeuta, los ítems más y menos característicos en el tratamiento y las estructuras de interacción, a lo largo del proceso terapéutico de dos casos de terapia de pareja, uno con cambio clínico positivo significativo y otro con cambio clínico negativo significativo, en la evaluación de la pareja. En este trabajo se utilizó el modelo de Terapia de Pareja Conductual Integrativa, uno de los enfoques de las terapias de tercera ola. El método fue un estudio de casos contrastados. Se discutieron las similitudes y diferencias entre los casos, llegando a la conclusión de que hay aspectos de la pareja, del terapeuta, de la relación terapéutica y del contexto que pueden haber contribuido a los diferentes resultados. (AU)

O que Terapeutas Comportamentais Aprendem para sua Prática Clínica na Relação Terapêutica? / What Do the Behavioral Therapists Learn for their Clinical Practice in the Therapeutic Relationship? / ¿Qué Aprenden los Terapeutas Conductuales para su Práctica Clínica en la Relación Terapéutica?

De acordo com a visão vigente, aprende-se a ser psicoterapeuta comportamental em cursos, onde se ensinam teoria, intervenções e técnicas; e na supervisão, onde a atuação do terapeuta é aprimorada. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar uma terceira via de aprendizagem. O que os terapeutas aprendem na relação com seus clientes? Foram entrevistados 14 terapeutas analítico-comportamentais, cognitivo comportamentais ou comportamentais contextuais, a respeito do que aprenderam com seus clientes para sua prática clínica. A análise das transcrições foi pautada nos preceitos da grounded theory analysis. Os resultados sugerem que os terapeutas aprendem sobre algumas coordenadas importantes do processo terapêutico: a singularidade de cada cliente, a responsabilidade do cliente e do terapeuta para o processo e sobre as suas limitações como terapeuta. Expandem suas competências clínicas: como enxergar além de rótulos e julgamentos, assumir uma postura terapêutica, flexibilidade e autenticidade. Adquirem estratégias clínicas, aprendem a ceder espaço para o cliente, a respeitar o tempo do cliente e responder às suas necessidades. Finalmente, aprendem a manejar riscos e contrariedades, a lidar com a proximidade no relacionamento, como usar dos seus equívocos a favor da terapia e conduzir aspectos burocráticos da sua profissão.

According to the current view, the role of a behavioral therapist is trained in courses which theory, interventions and techniques are taught and in clinical supervision supervision where the beginner's performance is shaped. The aim of this study was to explore a third learning pathway. What do therapists learn in their relationship with their clients? Fourteen behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapists were interviewed about what they learned from their clients. The transcripts were examined according to the precepts of grounded theory analysis. The results suggest that therapists learn about important coordinates of the therapeutic process: the uniqueness of each client, the client's and therapist's responsibility in the process, and also about therapists limitations. They expand their clinical competencies: how to see beyond labels and evaluations, to assume a therapeutic stance, be flexible and authentic. They acquire clinical strategies, learning to allow due space to the client, to respect the client's time and to respond to their needs. Finally, they learn how to manage risks and setbacks, to deal with closeness in the relationship, take advantage of their errors in favor of therapy and how to manage bureaucratic aspects of their profession.

Según la visión actual, la profesión de psicoterapeuta se aprende de los profesores que imparten teoría, intervenciones y técnicas y de los supervisores que acompañan la actuación. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar una tercera vía de aprendizaje: ¿qué aprenden los terapeutas con sus clientes? Se entrevistó a catorce terapeutas conductuales y cognitivo-conductuales sobre lo que aprendieron con sus clientes. El análisis de datos se basó en los preceptos del análisis de teoría fundamentada. Los resultados sugieren que los terapeutas aprenden sobre las coordenadas importantes del proceso terapéutico: la singularidad de cada cliente, la responsabilidad del cliente y del terapeuta por el proceso y sus limitaciones como terapeuta. Los terapeutas amplían sus competencias clínicas: cómo ver más allá de las etiquetas y los juicios, adoptar una postura terapéutica, desarrollar flexibilidad y autenticidad. Adquirir estrategias clínicas, aprender a darle espacio al cliente, respetar el tiempo del cliente y responder a sus necesidades. Finalmente, aprenden a gestionar los riesgos y contratiempos, a lidiar con la proximidad al cliente, a aprovechar los conceptos erróneos a favor de la terapia y a gestionar los aspectos burocráticos de su profesión.

Dispositional optimism as predictor of outcome in short- and long-term psychotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: Dispositional optimism predicts various beneficial outcomes in somatic health and treatment, but has been little studied in psychotherapy. This study investigated whether an optimistic disposition differentially predicts patients' ability to benefit from short-term versus long-term psychotherapy. DESIGN: A total of 326 adult outpatients with mood and/or anxiety disorder were randomized into short-term (solution-focused or short-term psychodynamic) or long-term psychodynamic therapy and followed up for 3 years. METHODS: Dispositional optimism was assessed by patients at baseline with the self-rated Life Orientation Test (LOT) questionnaire. Outcome was assessed at baseline and seven times during the follow-up, in terms of depressive (BDI, HDRS), anxiety (SCL-90-ANX, HARS), and general psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90-GSI), all seven follow-up points including patients' self-reports and three including interview-based measures. RESULTS: Lower dispositional optimism predicted faster symptom reduction in short-term than in long-term psychotherapy. Higher optimism predicted equally rapid and eventually greater benefits in long-term, as compared to short-term, psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Weaker optimism appeared to predict sustenance of problems early in long-term therapy. Stronger optimism seems to best facilitate engaging in and benefiting from a long-term therapy process. Closer research might clarify the psychological processes responsible for these effects and help fine-tune both briefer and longer interventions to optimize treatment effectiveness for particular patients and their psychological qualities. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Weaker dispositional optimism does not appear to inhibit brief therapy from effecting symptomatic recovery. Patients with weaker optimism do not seem to gain added benefits from long-term therapy, but instead may be susceptible to prolonged psychiatric symptoms in the early stages of long-term therapy.

DynAMo: A Modular Platform for Monitoring Process, Outcome, and Algorithm-Based Treatment Planning in Psychotherapy.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the assessment of mental disorders has become more and more personalized. Modern advancements such as Internet-enabled mobile phones and increased computing capacity make it possible to tap sources of information that have long been unavailable to mental health practitioners. OBJECTIVE: Software packages that combine algorithm-based treatment planning, process monitoring, and outcome monitoring are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess whether the DynAMo Web application can fill this gap by providing a software solution that can be used by both researchers to conduct state-of-the-art psychotherapy process research and clinicians to plan treatments and monitor psychotherapeutic processes. METHODS: In this paper, we report on the current state of a Web application that can be used for assessing the temporal structure of mental disorders using information on their temporal and synchronous associations. A treatment planning algorithm automatically interprets the data and delivers priority scores of symptoms to practitioners. The application is also capable of monitoring psychotherapeutic processes during therapy and of monitoring treatment outcomes. This application was developed using the R programming language (R Core Team, Vienna) and the Shiny Web application framework (RStudio, Inc, Boston). It is made entirely from open-source software packages and thus is easily extensible. RESULTS: The capabilities of the proposed application are demonstrated. Case illustrations are provided to exemplify its usefulness in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: With the broad availability of Internet-enabled mobile phones and similar devices, collecting data on psychopathology and psychotherapeutic processes has become easier than ever. The proposed application is a valuable tool for capturing, processing, and visualizing these data. The combination of dynamic assessment and process- and outcome monitoring has the potential to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy.