The relationship between individual resource realization and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in...

There has been a recent effort to investigate the role of individual resources in the field of mental health, but systematic research on this topic is lacking. The overall aim of the present study was the exploration of resource realization and other related variables in patients with mental disorders to provide basic knowledge on the upcoming field of psychotherapy research, which focuses on patients' strengths.

Current resource realization was assessed with a shortened form of the Resource Realization Questionnaire in a sample of 332 inpatients with mental disorders. To explore the association between resource realization and related variables, group differences (t tests, analyses of variance) in gender, age, marital status, educational level, and type and number of diagnoses were calculated. The relationships between resource realization, symptom severity, interpersonal behavior, and therapeutic alliance were examined, and a regression tree analysis was calculated to establish relevant predictors of resource realization.

There are several significant differences in current resource realization regarding marital status and number and type of diagnoses. A significant relationship between resource realization and symptom severity was found. The results regarding interpersonal behavior and therapeutic alliance were more heterogeneous. Symptom severity, gender, and chronic depression were found to be relevant predictors of resource realization.

The close association between resource realization and symptom severity supports further investigation of the construct of resource realization within psychotherapy research.