Systematic Treatment Selection (STS): A review and future directions.

Abstract

Systematic Treatment Selection (STS) is a form of technical eclectism that develops and plans treatments using empirically founded principles of psychotherapy. It is a model that provides systematic guidelines for the utilization of different psychotherapeutic strategies based on patient qualities and problem characteristics. Historically, it stems from accumulating evidence that no single theory is effective in treating all patients and common characteristics shared among different theoretical philosophies. A review of the literature and further research resulted in the extraction of four main decisional domains that are involved in determining effective treatment strategies. These domains include: (1) patient predisposing qualities, (2) treatment context, (3) relationship variables, and (4) intervention selection. These main principles provide the basis for which guidelines have been developed to systematically individualize treatment plans. The next step in the process is to effectively disseminate and implement this model, in which students and clinicians are taught to operate from a patient based rather than a theory based perspective.

Examining patient characteristics as predictors of patient beliefs about treatment credibility and expectancies for treatment outcome.

“…There are relatively simple interventions that may be helpful to all patients, for example, providing a strong treatment rationale and evidence of a treatment's effectiveness (see Constantino et al, 2014). Beutler's STS model specifies several possible methods for setting expectations as part of the therapeutic relationship, which may also enhance expectations for treatment outcome (Nguyen et al, 2007). Treatment outcome might be improved by directly assessing expectancy and credibility at the onset of treatment and devoting additional time to these important factors when indicated.…”

“…Current integrative models highlight the importance of understanding the link between treatment expectancy and outcome. For example, Beutler’s systematic treatment selection (STS) model delineates factors that predict treatment outcome to systematically select an intervention for a particular client (Beutler, Harwood, Bertoni, & Thomann, 2005; Nguyen, Bertoni, Charvat, Gheytanchi, & Beutler, 2007). The STS groups these factors into four domains: patient factors, treatment context, relationship factors, and the match between patient characteristics and techniques.…”

What are the Key Characteristics of a ‘Good’ Psychotherapy? Calling for Ethical Patient Involvement

“…It is indispensable, however, that honesty is warranted, and that exaggerations are avoided (26). Therefore, treatment rationales need to be based on evidence-based and empirically supported research findings (5,31,36,37). Moreover, the therapist's language must be adapted with respect to the patient's own language (38), and the patient's individual context needs to be considered.…”

“…In particular, patients themselves as active agents within psychotherapy need more attention, including their idiosyncratic experiences with psychotherapy, as well as their perspectives on health and illness (i.e. their illness and health narratives), their moral and normative values, but also their financial and time-wise investments when initiating psychotherapy (10,37,99,101).…”

The efficacy and optimal matching of an Internet‐based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for depressive symptoms among university students: A randomized controlled trial in China

“…(i.e., the treatment-patient match) is an important question for researchers and clinicians in the field of mental health (Cohen & DeRubeis, 2018;Norcross & Wampold, 2018). Systematic treatment selection (STS) is one method for optimizing the match between therapy and patient characteristics (Beutler et al, 2000;Nguyen et al, 2007). The application of STS consists of three steps: (1) comprehensive analysis of the clinical trials literature; (2) based on this literature, identification of patient and treatment characteristics that appear to affect treatment process or outcome; (3) in applied research, systematic testing of treatment-patient match as a predictor of treatment process and outcome.…”