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Developing a theoretical understanding of therapy techniques: an illustrative analogue study
- Authors:
- FREEMAN Daniel, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), June 2005, pp.241-254.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In psychological interventions, clients are often asked to review unhelpful beliefs. Surprisingly, there is no theoretical understanding of how beliefs are reviewed in therapy. Moreover, by understanding a therapeutic technique, potential interactions with symptom processes can be considered. An analogue study assessing the feasibility of researching therapy techniques is described, in which links between symptoms, reasoning style, and an experimental version of the cognitive therapy technique of belief evaluation are examined. Thirty individuals without psychiatric illness completed (i) dimensional measures of depression, anxiety, and delusions, (ii) a measure of confirmatory reasoning both before and after instruction in disconfirmatory reasoning, and (iii) a belief evaluation task. Compared with individuals with a confirmatory reasoning style, individuals with a disconfirmatory reasoning style were less hasty in their data gathering, considered a greater number of hypotheses during the task, had higher intellectual functioning, and had lower levels of depressive symptoms. Conversely, the individuals with the strongest confirmatory reasoning had higher levels of depression and preoccupation with delusional ideation. Successful adoption of disconfirmatory reasoning was associated with less hasty decision-making and lower levels of preoccupation and distress by delusional ideation. Individuals with a disconfirmatory reasoning style reported more evidence both for and against their beliefs in the belief evaluation task. In the context of clinical research indicating that individuals with delusions are hasty in their data gathering and have difficulty considering alternatives, a potential implication of the findings is that individuals with delusions may find belief evaluation in therapy.
Working the land
- Authors:
- HINE Rachel, PEACOCK Jo, PRETTY Jules
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, June 2008, pp.23-26.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Care farming is in its early stages of development in the UK, but has proven benefits for mental health and well-being. This article reports on the findings of a questionnaire survey which was sent to over 400 care farms. Seventy six care farms returned questionnaires, comprising of 19 city farms, 16 independent farms and 41 farms linked to external institutions or charities. The findings relating to success and mental health benefits are discussed.
Maximizing treatment effectiveness in clinical practice: an outcome-informed, collaborative approach
- Author:
- SAGGESE Michael L.
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 86(4), December 2005, pp.558-564.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
Clinicians need easy-to-use, practical, systematic methods of evaluating, informing, and reporting the effectiveness of treatment. Practicing clinicians no longer have to rely on the DSM for treating their clients, but by making use of both outcome and process measures they can create a more collaborative and effective therapy with their clients. The findings from over 40 years of psychotherapy outcome research literature emphasize the importance of common factors as the curative elements central to all forms of therapy regardless of theoretical orientation. Methods discussed here offer practitioners the means to identify which clients are responding to treatment and those for which treatment is not working so that adjustments can be made to the therapy. The goal is to decrease dropout rates, increase levels of customer satisfaction, and document and improve the overall effectiveness of treatment.
Dual diagnosis: expert testimony
- Author:
- IDDON Brian
- Journal article citation:
- Addiction Today, November 1999, pp.12-13.
- Publisher:
- Addiction Recovery Foundation
The author, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Drugs Misuse Group, gives his controversial views on the report on the link between drugs misuse and mental health.
Does the continuum of care influence time in treatment?: evidence from the Fort Bragg evaluation
- Author:
- FOSTER E. Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Evaluation Review, 22(4), August 1998, pp.447-469.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Using data from the Fort Bragg Evaluation, this article determines whether the continuum of care treatment philosophy extends the length of treatment episodes among children and adolescents receiving mental health services. This article is the first to examine either the length of treatment episodes for children and adolescents receiving mental health services or the relationship between time in treatment and the continuum of care. Using hazard modelling, the author finds that children at the Fort Bragg Demonstration are less likely to leave treatment at a point in time and thus remain in treatment longer
Cost comparison of out-patient and home-based geriatric psychiatry consultations in one service
- Author:
- SHAH A.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 1(4), November 1997, pp.372-376.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Describes a study comparing the costs of home-based and hospital-based out-patient clinic consultations in an established geriatric psychiatry service. The cost of home-based and out-patient-based consultations were similar for both new and follow-up patients. Although home-based consultations have many advantages over hospital-based out-patient consultations, a prospective randomised study with cost-effectiveness analysis, involving several centres, is proposed.
Evaluating mental health services: how do programs for children "work" in the real world?
- Editors:
- NIXON Carol T., NORTHRUP Denine A.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Publication year:
- 1997
- Pagination:
- 305p.,tables,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Thousand Oaks, CA
Look at ways of evaluating service effectiveness, concentrating specifically on programmes in the United States for children and young people suffering from a diagnosable mental disorder.
A pilot study of exposure control of chronic auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia
- Authors:
- PERSAUD Rajendra, MARKS Isaac
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 167, July 1995, pp.45-50.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Many patients complain less of their auditory hallucinations per se than of lack of control of the experiences. There is reason to believe that a non-distraction approach could help patients gain more control over persistent auditory hallucinations and teach them that their experience is a form of thinking and has no external source. This study is a pilot of that idea.
Efficacy of nature-based therapy for individuals with stress-related illnesses: randomised controlled trial
- Authors:
- STIGSDOTTER Ulrika Karlsson, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 213(1), 2018, pp.404-411.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Background: Stress-related illnesses are a major threat to public health, and there is increasing demand for validated treatments. Aims: To test the efficacy of nature-based therapy (NBT) for patients with stress-related illnesses. Method: Randomised controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01849718) comparing Nacadia® NBT (NNBT) with the cognitive–behavioural therapy known as Specialised Treatment for Severe Bodily Distress Syndromes (STreSS). In total, 84 participants were randomly allocated to one of the two treatments. The primary outcome measure was the mean aggregate score on the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI). Results: Both treatments resulted in a significant increase in the PGWBI (primary outcome) and a decrease in burnout (the Shirom–Melamed Burnout Questionnaire, secondary outcome), which were both sustained 12 months later. No significant difference in efficacy was found between NNBT and STreSS for primary outcome and secondary outcomes. Conclusions: The study showed no statistical evidence of a difference between NNBT and STreSS for treating patients with stress-related illnesses. (Edited publisher abstract)
Key elements of a family intervention for schizophrenia: a qualitative analysis of an RCT
- Authors:
- GRACIO Jaime, GONÇALVES‐PEREIRA Manuel, LEFF Julian
- Journal article citation:
- Family Process, 57(1), 2018, pp.100-112.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Schizophrenia is a complex biopsychosocial condition in which expressed emotion in family members is a robust predictor of relapse. Not surprisingly, family interventions are remarkably effective and thus recommended in current treatment guidelines. Their key elements seem to be common therapeutic factors, followed by education and coping skills training. However, few studies have explored these key elements and the process of the intervention itself. We conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the records from a pioneering family intervention trial addressing expressed emotion, published by Leff and colleagues four decades ago. Records were analyzed into categories and data explored using descriptive statistics. This was complemented by a narrative evaluation using an inductive approach based on emotional markers and markers of change. The most used strategies in the intervention were addressing needs, followed by coping skills enhancement, advice, and emotional support. Dealing with overinvolvement and reframing were the next most frequent. Single‐family home sessions seemed to augment the therapeutic work conducted in family groups. Overall the intervention seemed to promote cognitive and emotional change in the participants, and therapists were sensitive to the emotional trajectory of each subject. On the basis of our findings, we developed a longitudinal framework for better understanding the process of this treatment approach. (Edited publisher abstract)