Psychotherapy Research

Question 1

Dose dependent effect

Answer 1

75% of patients show improvement at 26 sessions; this increases to 85% at 52 sessions (Howard et al.)

Question 2

Phase model

Answer 2

Effects of therapy are related to the number of sessions

3 phases: remoralization, remediation, rehabilitation

(Howard et al)

Question 3

Eysenck

Answer 3

Benefits of therapy are due to spontaneous remission:

72% of untreated neurotic individuals improved without therapy; 66% improved with eclectic therapy; 44% improved with psychoanalytic therapy

Question 4

Smith, Glass, & Miller

Answer 4

Meta-analysis of psychotherapy outcome studies found that psychotherapy does have substantial benefits:

Average effect size of .85

The typical therapy client is better off than 80% of individuals who need therapy but are untreated