Pre-treatment social support and effective psychotherapeutic process: A panel study.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between social support provided (prior to treatment) by 57 individual psychotherapy patients' significant others and three process components at three points in treatment-the first session, the fifth session, and the sixteenth session. Strong pre-treatment network supports generally were found to have a significant positive association with the therapeutic bond, patient selfrelatedness, and therapeutic realizations in the initial phase of treatment, but were (progressively) less likely to be associated with these therapeutic processes over time. Several distinct exceptions to this pattern, however, suggest that the relationship between network support(s) and therapeutic process is not simple. That is, the strength as well as the timing of the relationship between support and process were found to vary depending upon the particular type of support provided and its source. These data suggest that the interpersonal context of entering psychotherapy patients exerts some influence on key therapeutic processes.

Relationship between the working alliance and social support on counseling outcome

“…Although higher pretreatment social support was not associated with increased rates of improvement, higher social support was associated with lower initial symptom levels, a result consistent with a substantial body of research that has linked strong social support to better mental health (Bankoff, 1996; Cohen & Wills, 1985). In the present study, a difference in one standard deviation of pretreatment social support meant a 15‐point difference in pretreatment symptom levels on the OQ‐45.…”

The interactive effect of patient attachment and social support on early alliance quality in interpersonal psychotherapy.

“…However, few studies have examined whether other patient characteristics, and especially other interpersonal variables that are also predictors of alliance quality, moderate the associations between the attachment dimensions and the alliance. For example, across multiple psychotherapies for various disorders, patients’ pretreatment social support has been positively associated with the alliance (Bankoff, 1996; Hersoug, Høglend, Havik, von der Lippe, & Monsen, 2009; Hersoug, Monsen, Havik, & Høglend, 2002; Mallinckrodt, 1991; Meier, Donmall, Barrowclough, McElduff, & Heller, 2005), suggesting that patients who have quality, supportive relationships outside of therapy tend to also form more positive relationships with their therapist. Social support is also related to more positive treatment outcomes (for a meta-analysis see Roehrle & Strouse, 2008).…”

Alliance development in therapy for resolving child abuse issues.

“…Recent research has begun to challenge this assumption. For example, Bankoff (1996) found that emotional neglect predicted less cohesive therapeutic bonds early in therapy, but this effect diminished in the later phase. Similarly, Paivio and Bahr (1998) found that, in an experiential therapy similar to EFT-AS, various types of client interpersonal problems were differentially associated with early and late alliance quality; and none of the client variables predicted outcome.…”