Approach-Avoidance Attitudes Associated with Initial Therapy Appointment Attendance: A Prospective Study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Initial therapy appointments exhibit high rates of nonattendance.
• The underlying reasons for this therapy avoidance are not well understood.
• Understanding predictors of attendance is crucial for improving mental healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify attitudes towards therapy that predict initial appointment attendance.
• To explore the role of approach-avoidance conflicts in therapy-seeking behavior.
• To investigate the influence of self-disclosure concerns and self-reflection motives on attendance.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study design was employed within a low-intensity Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) service.
• First appointment attendance (N=96) was the primary outcome measure.
• Data collected included attitudes toward therapy, depression and anxiety symptom severity, and demographic information.

Main Results:

• A negative attitude concerning self-disclosure independently predicted nonattendance.
• Positive attitudes toward therapy were associated with increased attendance.
• The positive impact of self-reflection motives on attendance was moderated by depression severity, being significant only in less depressed individuals.

Conclusions:

• Concerns regarding self-disclosure are a significant barrier to attending initial therapy sessions.
• Goals for self-reflection may act as approach motivation for therapy.
• The impact of approach motivation on attendance is diminished in individuals with higher depression levels.