Is Psychotherapy Effective?

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?
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Is Psychotherapy Effective?No...

• Eysenck (1952)- Determined that improvement was
  no greater than spontaneous remission
• Between 2/3 and 3/4 of neurotics would recover
  naturally this was no different from therapy
  clients
• Prioleau, Murdock, Brody (1983)- Reviewed several
  therapy-outcome studies
• Determined that psychotherapy is no different
  than placebo controls

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?No...

• Some consequences of these findings
• Questioned the need for psychologists
• Suggested that disorders may be untreatable
• Sparked a massive research effort that continues
  today
• Led to current pressure for accountability
  empirically supported treatment movement

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?Yes...

• Critique of Eysencks Conclusion
• His argument was based on small number of reports
  (only 6 controlled studies) and many with
  questionable research methods
• Vague criteria for diagnosis and improvement
• No objective measurement
• Those who ended therapy earlier than average were
  assumed to have not improved

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?Yes...

• Bootzin- Argues that placebos are
  misrepresented as inert psych. sugar pills
• Many so-called placebos may contain active
  ingredients
• Jerome Franks 4 elements of any effective tx
• Clear roles- Expert helper and person in need of
  help
• Settings- Recognized place to seek help (Drs
  office)
• Rationale- Believable explanation that provides
  hope
• Therapeutic Rituals- Enhance faith in the
  rationale

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?Yes...

• Smith, Glass Miller- Conducted a meta-analysis
  of over 400 studies
• Found that the average therapy client showed more
  improvement than 75 of untreated individuals
• Findings were stable across many different
  disorders
• Lipsey Wilson- Many psychotherapy studies have
  better outcomes than most medical treatments
• No one asks do doctors cure illnesses?

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?Yes...

• Consumer Reports (1994)
• Surveyed nearly 3,000 individuals who had been in
  therapy during the previous 3 years
• Over 90 reported significant long-term
  improvement
• Assessed treatment benefits in the real world
• Some have argued that this is the best study ever
  conducted to answer the question

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Is Psychotherapy Effective?

• What do you think?