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Negative treatment effects: is it time for a black box warning?
1Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology, Rhode Island College, Providence 02908-1991, USA. cboisvert@ric.edu
The American Psychologist
|September 30, 2010
Summary
Psychotherapy research often overlooks negative treatment effects. Greater client-clinician collaboration can improve understanding and inform patients about potential risks and benefits.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- David Barlow's perspective highlights psychotherapy's historical focus on positive outcomes.
- Negative treatment effects in psychotherapy are acknowledged but under-researched.
Discussion:
- The author proposes that studying negative effects requires a shift from traditional clinical mandates.
- Idiographic approaches, focusing on individual cases, are recommended for understanding adverse outcomes.
- Collaboration between clinicians and clients is suggested as a more effective model than clinician-scientist partnerships.
Key Insights:
- Limited attention has been given to the negative effects of psychological treatments.
- Client-clinician collaboration is crucial for advancing research on adverse treatment outcomes.
- Informing clients about treatment possibilities enhances shared decision-making.
Outlook:
- Future research should prioritize idiographic studies on negative treatment effects.
- Integrating client perspectives into research can lead to more personalized and effective psychological care.
- A collaborative model between clinicians and clients can improve the ethical and scientific practice of psychotherapy.
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