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Therapist competence, comorbidity and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression
Willem Kuyken1, Dimitrios Tsivrikos
1University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. w.kuyken@exeter.ac.uk
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
|November 20, 2008
Summary
Highly competent therapists improve cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) outcomes for depression, even when patients have co-occurring conditions. Therapist skill is key to better patient results, irrespective of comorbidity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Therapist competence is a known factor in therapy success, but its precise impact varies.
- Existing research shows mixed results regarding therapist competence and outcomes in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between therapist competence and treatment outcomes in CBT for depression.
- To examine if client comorbidity moderates the effect of therapist competence on depression treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A naturalistic process-outcome study involving 69 clients with depression treated by 18 cognitive-behavioral therapists.
- Employed triangulated measures to assess therapist competence.
- Analyzed the impact of therapist competence and client comorbidity on therapy outcomes.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that comorbidity negatively affects CBT outcomes for depression.
- Demonstrated that higher therapist competence is linked to improved outcomes.
- Found that therapist competence benefits clients regardless of their comorbidity levels.
Conclusions:
- Therapist competence is significantly associated with better therapy outcomes.
- Effective therapists achieve superior patient results irrespective of the complexity of the client's condition, including comorbidity.
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