Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy: An evaluation of therapies provided by trainees at a university psychotherapy training center

Abstract

At the psychotherapy training center at Karlstad University, a study was carried out to examine the levels of symptom change and satisfaction with therapy in a heterogeneous population of clients treated using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) by less experienced trainee therapists with limited theoretical education. The clients received an average of 11 therapy sessions. The results suggested that CBT performed by less experienced trainee therapists can be effective. According to client estimations, a statistically significant reduction in symptoms, measured using the Symptoms Checklist, was achieved for seven of nine variables (p ≤ .006), as well as a significant increase in satisfaction with life (p ≤ .001). Also, the pre- and posttherapy measurements using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale showed a statistically significant improvement in the clients’ condition. According to the therapists’ estimations, 64% (SD = 32.01) of the clients experienced a significant improvement in their condition. In addition, the results of a survey of client satisfaction demonstrated that the clients were very pleased with the therapy received. Also the therapists were, to a great extent, satisfied with the treatment process itself, including the supervision received, and very satisfied with the client alliance. A correlation analysis between the clients’ perceived level of improvement and therapist satisfaction showed a strong correlation between the two variables (r = .50, p < .005). By including the Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale (CPPS) in our study it was possible to measure trueness to therapy form. An analysis of the CPPS results confirmed that the form of therapy used at the training site was more strongly CBT than psychodynamic interpersonal treatment (p ≤ .001). The CBT subscale score indicated that the therapy was characteristic of CBT, confirming that the interventions used in the therapy belong to the CBT genre.

Affect at the different phases of cognitive behavioral therapy: An evaluation of psychotherapy provided by candidates

“…Further, the effectiveness of the therapy is especially evident in the finding that clients were not like the reference group when they started the therapy, but on completion of the therapy they were as healthy as a student population (see also Draxler & Hiltunen, ). In addition, the result is consistent with some earlier studies where cognitive behavioural therapy was performed by therapist candidates and shown to be effective (e.g., Hiltunen et al ., ; Lappalainen et al ., ; Öst et al ., ). On the strength of previous research, we suggest that the result may be generalizable to similar clinics.…”

“…There are only a handful of studies focusing on psychotherapy education and the associated therapy clinics. However, there are some studies of the effects of CBT performed by therapist candidates with limited theoretical education, and the conclusions made in these studies seems to be that CBT performed by therapist candidates can be effective (Bados, Balaguer & Saldaña, 2007;Buckley, Newman, Kellett & Beail, 2006;Hiltunen, Kocys & Perrin-Wallqvist, 2013;Lappalainen, Lehtonen, Skarp, Taubert, Ojanen & Hayes, 2007;€ Ost, Karlstedt & Wid en, 2012). There seems to be more and more focus on emotions, emotional coping and emotional awareness in CBT (Ellard, Fairholme, Boisseau, Farchione & Barlow, 2010;Linehan, 1993).…”

Affective Changes During Cognitive Behavioural Therapy–As Measured by PANAS

“…The focus on affects and related areas, such as affective awareness and coping, in relation to CBT have increased over the years [ 2 ] and CBT has proven to be effective in obtaining affect change [ 1 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 30 ]. Low NA and high PA are related to a number of advantages [ 33 , 37 ] and so is SA affective personality [ 11 ]. Contrary to the cross-sectional design used by Stark and Hiltunen [ 1 ], a within-subject design was used in the present study, which gives more strength to the indications that affective personality is positively affected by CBT.…”

Características de la asistencia psicológica en el contexto universitario: la Clínica Universitaria de la UAM

“…Respecto a la duración de los tratamientos psicológicos, en nuestra clínica la media de sesiones de tratamiento se sitúa en torno a 17, que incluye una media de sesiones de evaluación e intervención de tres y 12 sesiones, respectivamente. Esta duración es similar a la duración en otras clínicas estudiadas, con valores que se mueven en una horquilla desde las 11 sesiones (Hiltunen, Kocys, & Perrin-Wallqvist, 2013), hasta las 18 sesiones o menos (Labrador et al, 2016) o incluso las 27 sesiones (Bados et al, 2007a). A pesar de la corta experiencia de los terapeutas, no se da una mayor duración de la intervención aplicada, como cabría esperar (Bados et al, 2007a).…”

“…y de los estudios en el campo aplicado. Las características de estas clínicas propician el estudio de la eficacia de los tratamientos(Borkovec, 2004) en la medida en que las intervenciones psicológicas están más protocolizadas, se hace una medición sistemática de los cambios clínicos y hay una supervisión y formación continuada de los terapeutas.En términos de la efectividad de las intervenciones en las clínicas universitarias, los datos actuales de los centros universitarios nacionales e internacionales, aunque escasos, apoyan resultados positivos sobre sus intervenciones, con buenos niveles de efectividad y una mejoría significativa de los clientes(Bados, Balaguer, & Saldaña, 2007a;Hiltunen, Kocys, & Perrin-Wallqvist, 2013;Öst Karlstedt, & Widén, 2012). En este sentido, disponer de terapeutas con poca experiencia no es un impedimento para la eficacia de las intervenciones y los resultados de los tratamientos psicológicos con apoyo científico, puesto que resultan adecuados y comparables en términos de efectividad a otros estudios de investigación(Estupiñá & Labrador, 2012).…”