A Longitudinal Goal Setting Model for Addressing Complex Personal Problems in Mental Health

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Goal setting is crucial for personal change, yet current technologies often support only simple goals.
• Longitudinal use of goal-setting tools reveals limited understanding of how goals evolve over time.
• Existing technologies inadequately address the complexity of goals individuals wish to pursue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the collaborative practices of therapists and clients in setting and achieving complex goals longitudinally.
• To develop a model describing the dynamic process of goal setting in mental health contexts.
• To understand how therapeutic collaboration facilitates transformative reflection and goal adjustment.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 clients and 7 therapists involved in goal setting during therapy.
• Analyzed interview data to identify patterns in collaborative goal setting and evolution.
• Developed the Longitudinal Goal Setting Model based on empirical findings.

Main Results:

• Clients and therapists collaboratively select complex problems, simplify them into specific goals, and adjust these goals over time.
• The Longitudinal Goal Setting Model illustrates a three-stage process: problem selection, goal simplification, and goal adjustment.
• Therapeutic collaboration fosters transformative reflection, enabling new perspectives, practice changes, and addressing avoided issues.

Conclusions:

• Client-therapist collaboration is essential for navigating complex goals in mental health.
• The Longitudinal Goal Setting Model provides a framework for understanding goal evolution in therapeutic settings.
• Transformative reflection, facilitated by therapists, is key to addressing complex personal issues through goal setting.