Narrative changes predict a decrease in symptoms in CBT for depression: an exploratory study

• Autor(a) principal: Gonçalves, Miguel M.
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Silva, Joana Maria Ribeiro, Mendes, Inês, Rosa, Catarina Pires da, Ribeiro, António P., Batista, João, Sousa, Inês, Fernandes, Carlos F.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/42906
• topic: Innovative moments; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Process of change; Psychotherapy; Depression; Ciências Sociais::Psicologia; Social Sciences

ObjectiveInnovative moments (IMs) are new and more adjusted ways of thinking, acting, feeling and relating that emerge during psychotherapy. Previous research on IMs has provided sustainable evidence that IMs differentiate recovered from unchanged psychotherapy cases. However, studies with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are so far absent. The present study tests whether IMs can be reliably identified in CBT and examines if IMs and symptoms' improvement are associated.MethodsThe following variables were assessed in each session from a sample of six cases of CBT for depression (a total of 111 sessions): (a) symptomatology outcomes (Outcome QuestionnaireOQ-10) and (b) IMs. Two hierarchical linear models were used: one to test whether IMs predicted a symptom decrease in the next session and a second one to test whether symptoms in one session predicted the emergence of IMs in the next session.ResultsInnovative moments were better predictors of symptom decrease than the reverse. A higher proportion of a specific type of IMsreflection 2in one session predicted a decrease in symptoms in the next session. Thus, when clients further elaborated this type of IM (in which clients describe positive contrasts or elaborate on changes processes), a reduction in symptoms was observed in the next session.DiscussionA higher expression and elaboration of reflection 2 IMs appear to have a facilitative function in the reduction of depressive symptoms in this sample of CBT. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.