This research proposal represents an extension of earlier work conducted on factors contributing to successful outcome in diverse intervention modalities. Treatments of varying type and length have been studied over the past several years, including crisis intervention (Jones, Wynne, & Watson, 1986); brief, psychodynamic psychotherapies (Jones, Cumming, & Horowitz, 1988; Jones, Krupnick, & Kerig, 1987; Jones, Parke, & Pulos, 1992); and cognitive-behavioral treatments (Jones & Pulos, 1993). The proposed research continues and extends the comparative study of therapy process and outcome in brief psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral treatments. A process measure, the Psychotherapy Process Q- set, will be applied to the verbatim transcripts of therapy sessions of interpersonal therapy (IPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) from the NIMH Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program. This data set, derived from state-of-the-art clinical trials research methodology, is nationally recognized and highly regarded. The NIMH sample would allow us to use this superior data set in an attempt to replicate and extend previously conducted comparative studies of the psychotherapy process. The proposed project aims to: (l) replicate an earlier study that compared the therapy process in archival samples of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral treatments; (2) attempt to identify process correlates of outcome in IPT and CBT; and (3 determine how closely these treatments conform to descriptions of ideally conducted IPT and CBT constructed by panels of experts. The extent to which therapy sessions conform to these prototypes will then be correlated with measures of outcome to determine whether those aspects of the therapy process which in theory should promote patient change are in fact responsible for predicting positive outcome.
| Ablon, J S; Jones, E E (1999) Psychotherapy process in the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program. J Consult Clin Psychol 67:64-75 |
