Single-case study examined frank disclosure of important topics in brief exploratory psychotherapy, including topics closely related to recent, unintegrated stressor life event. Quantitative measures of emotion and control variables showed heightened levels of both emotionality and defensive control during discourse on topic of stressor event.…

Psychotherapy outcome can be enhanced by early identification of potential treatment failures before they leave treatment. In adults, compelling data are emerging that provide evidence that an early warning system that identifies potential treatment failures can be developed and applied to enhance outcome. The present study reports an analysis of…

Randomized trial evidence and expert guidelines are mixed regarding the value of combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy as initial treatment for depression. This study describes long-term results of a randomized trial (N = 393) evaluating telephone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) plus care management for primary care patients…

Changes in attachment organization and reflective function (RF) were assessed as putative mechanisms of change in 1 of 3 year-long psychotherapy treatments for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Ninety patients reliably diagnosed with BPD were randomized to transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP), dialectical behavior…

Objective: To examine the time to response for both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Method: Adolescents (N = 439, ages 12 to 17 years) with major depressive disorder were randomized to fluoxetine (FLX), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), their combination (COMB), or pill placebo…

Developed measure of accuracy of therapists' interpretations and examined relation of accuracy to outcome of dynamic psychotherapy. Assessed accuracy on therapists' interpretations from two early-in-treatment sessions of 43 patients. Results indicated that accuracy about main wishes and responses from others that were expressed in relationship…

Comorbid diagnoses were examined in 55 principal generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) clients, and the effects of treatment for the anxiety disorder on the other conditions were examined. Although high rates of comorbidity were present at pretherapy, the presence of comorbid conditions declined dramatically after treatment in those for whom the GAD…

Notes that all counseling and psychotherapy relationships consist of working alliance, transference configuration, and real relationship. Draws on theoretical and research literature and uses clinical examples to offer 19 propositions about how these 3 relationship components interact with one another, how each operates across course of…

Responds to previous article (Stiles and Shapiro, this issue) which argues that trivial correlations between process variables and treatment outcome point to inherent methodological limitations of correlational designs in process-outcome research. Contends that correlational designs are perfectly appropriate for testing process-outcome…

Responds to previous article (Stiles and Shapiro, this issue) that suggests abandoning model of drug research in exploring psychotherapy effectiveness. Contends that Stiles and Shapiro's analysis can be challenged on methodological grounds involving failure to use multivariate analytic approaches, incomplete exploitation of advantages of growth…

Responds to critiques of Stiles and Shapiro's (1994) discussion of process-outcome correlation problem by Silberschatz (1994) and Sechrest (1994). Contends that, contrary to Silberschatz's and Sechrest's multivariate suggestions, problem is not in measures or analyses but in interpretation of results, particularly in failure to incorporate fully…

The study found, in contrast with an earlier study done with similar children in the same program, that a group of 29 severely disturbed children, including those with preadmission histories of severe aggressive/destructive behavior, had positive outcomes from a day hospital treatment program. Programmatic changes are proposed as responsible for…

Reviews studies of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, and social phobia. Sees CBT as consistently more effective than waiting-list and placebo control groups. Notes that cognitive change may be strong predictor of treatment outcome but that such change may be produced…

Describes methods and concepts for empirically evaluating pertinence or suitability of therapist's interventions to patient's problems, needs, and treatment goals. Presents intensive studies of two brief psychotherapy cases in which patient-initiated critical incidents were identified, case-specific accuracy of therapist's responses was rated, and…

Focuses on psychotherapy studies completed at Vanderbilt University which had their antecedents in research begun by Strupp in 1950s. Notes that Vanderbilt I focused on relative contribution of specific and nonspecific factors in therapy, while Vanderbilt II sought to study the effects of training in time-limited dynamic psychotherapy on process…