Patients' Style of Emotional Processing Moderates the Impact of Common Factors in Psychotherapy

Brintzinger Miriam; Tschacher Wolfgang; Endtner KatrinBachmann KurtReicherts MichaelZnoj HansjorgPfammatter Mario

摘要

This study examined how patient characteristics concerning processing of emotions interact with common factors in psychotherapy. We focused on common factors of emotional processing in psychotherapy with regard to depression outcome. A total of 93 psychiatric outpatients were included. Patients completed preassessments and postassessments regarding depression symptoms and emotional processing style. In addition, the subjectively perceived activation of common factors related to emotional processing in therapy was assessed by the patients after each therapy session. Depending on patients' pretreatment characteristics in emotional processing, activation of the emotion-related common factor mindfulness in treatment had varying impact on depression outcome: The perceived activation of mindfulness had a positive impact on depression reduction only in patients with pretreatment deficits in cognitive representation and communication of emotions. In patients who did not show such deficits, the perceived activation of this common factor during treatment was negatively correlated with outcome. It appears that common factors in psychotherapy must match with patient characteristics to gain therapeutic significance. Examining the interplay of patient characteristics with common factors provides a promising approach to tailor psychotherapeutic procedures in the sense of a personalized psychotherapy. Clinical Impact Statement Question: What is the applied clinical practice question this article is hoping to address? The applied clinical practice questions this article is hoping to address concerns the importance of individual patient characteristics such as style of emotional processing when applying clinical strategies with regard to the activation of specific and common therapeutic factors of psychotherapy. Findings: How would clinicians meaningfully use the primary findings of this article in their applied practice? We wish to encourage clinicians to assess and consider individual characteristics of patients such as their style of emotional processing and actively integrate them in their understanding of the patient and the therapy process. Meaning: What are the key conclusions and implications for future clinical practice and research? Including individual patient variables such as style of emotion processing into disorder and treatment models may provide a more adapted (personalized) implementation of specific interventions as well as theoretical integration of common factors and bring forward the understanding of mechanisms of therapeutic change processes. Next Steps: Based on the primary findings and limitations of this article, what are future directions to be explored in clinical practice and research? Future directions to be explored should focus on similarities and differences between psychotherapeutic concepts and measurement instruments that deal with key patient characteristics such as style of processing of emotions to promote comprehensive, evidence-based personalized as well as transdiagnostic psychotherapeutic strategies.

Patients' Style of Emotional Processing Moderates the Impact of Common Factors in Psychotherapy

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