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Ambivalence in narrative therapy: a comparison between recovered and unchanged cases

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Resumo:Research on the identification of poor outcome predictors is crucial for the prevention of therapeutic failure. Previous research suggests that clients’ persistent ambivalence is one possible path to unsuccessful psychotherapy. The present study analyses ambivalence—here operationalized as return-tothe-problem markers (RPMs)—in five recovered and five unchanged cases of narrative psychotherapy for major depression. The results suggest that both recovered and unchanged cases presented a similar proportion of RPMs at baseline and a decreasing pattern of these ambivalence markers throughout therapy. However, the decreasing was more accentuated in recovered than in unchanged cases, and at the end of the treatment, the proportion of RPMs of the unchanged cases was significantly higher. The results are discussed in light of previous research on ambivalence in psychotherapy, focusing on the meaning of ambivalence and its clinical implications.
Autores principais:Ribeiro, António P.
Outros Autores:Gonçalves, Miguel M.; Silva, Joana R.; Brás, Andreia; Sousa, Inês
Assunto:Process research Narrative therapy Ambivalence Return-to-the-problem markers Ciências Sociais::Psicologia
Ano:2016
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:artigo
Tipo de acesso:acesso aberto
Instituição associada:Universidade do Minho
Idioma:inglês
Origem:RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Descrição
Resumo:Research on the identification of poor outcome predictors is crucial for the prevention of therapeutic failure. Previous research suggests that clients’ persistent ambivalence is one possible path to unsuccessful psychotherapy. The present study analyses ambivalence—here operationalized as return-tothe-problem markers (RPMs)—in five recovered and five unchanged cases of narrative psychotherapy for major depression. The results suggest that both recovered and unchanged cases presented a similar proportion of RPMs at baseline and a decreasing pattern of these ambivalence markers throughout therapy. However, the decreasing was more accentuated in recovered than in unchanged cases, and at the end of the treatment, the proportion of RPMs of the unchanged cases was significantly higher. The results are discussed in light of previous research on ambivalence in psychotherapy, focusing on the meaning of ambivalence and its clinical implications.