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Clients' preferences for styles of therapy
1Camden and Islington Drugs Service, National Temperance Hospital, London, UK.
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|May 1, 1995
Summary
Psychiatric patients preferred cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) over other styles. Client preference and perceived credibility strongly correlated, with minimal influence from individual differences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Understanding client preferences is crucial for effective psychotherapy.
- Different therapeutic modalities exist, each with unique characteristics.
- Patient-centered care necessitates exploring factors influencing therapy choice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate client preferences for distinct psychotherapy styles.
- To assess the correlation between perceived credibility and personal preference.
- To examine the influence of individual differences on therapy style preference.
Main Methods:
- Psychiatric day hospital patients viewed videos of five therapy styles: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, external, and naïve.
- Participants rated each video on credibility, personal preference, and Session Evaluation Questionnaire subscales (depth, smoothness).
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation was found between credibility ratings and personal preference across all styles.
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy was consistently preferred over other modalities on all measured aspects.
- Individual difference variables showed weak associations with therapy style preferences.
Conclusions:
- Client preferences for therapy styles are distinct and measurable.
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy appears to be a widely preferred modality among the studied patient group.
- Therapy choice may be less influenced by individual patient characteristics than by the inherent qualities of the therapeutic approach.