Therapist content relevance and patient affect in treatment

Investigated therapist content relevance, the extent to which therapist responses correspond to patient expectations with regard to treatment content and therapist behaviors, in relation to the affect of VA patients (N = 22) during the first two therapy sessions and to their self-reported satisfaction after the second session. Extent of therapist content relevance was associated significantly and consistently with decreases in patient dejection and apprehension, as rated by observers from interview transcripts that used an affect adjective check list. It did not relate, however, to patient self-reported satisfaction. Methodological and conceptual differences in the measurement of affect and satisfaction are discussed also in relation to future research.