Subjects: Psychology >> Clinical and Counseling Psychology submitted time 2023-05-09
Abstract： The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift from in-person face-to-face counseling (F2F) to online videoconferencing counseling (VCP), which poses the question: how does VCP affect treatment outcomes compared to F2F? Existing research has demonstrated the equivalence of VCP and F2F in terms of effectiveness. However, the working alliance, a key common factor in F2F, has been found to be lower in quality in VCP than in F2F in a recent meta-analysis. Moreover, only one study has examined the reciprocal relationship between working alliance and treatment outcomes in VCP at the within-patient level. The present study aims to (a) compare the treatment outcomes between VCP and F2F using longitudinal data from a naturalistic setting; and (b) explore the mutual influence of working alliance and treatment outcomes in VCP and F2F at the within-patient level.
This study was conducted in a counseling center of a university in central China, and participants were arranged to receive VCP or F2F. The final sample consisted of 525 college students, of whom 117 received VCP and 408 received F2F. The only difference between the two conditions was the mode of delivery (VCP vs. F2F). Participants completed the CORE-OM-10 before each session and the Session Alliance Inventory (SAI) after each session. They also completed the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CORE-OM-34 at pre- and post-treatment. The data from sessions 1 to 6 were analyzed using the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM). A multi-group RI-CLPM comparison was conducted to examine the alliance-outcome relationship in VCP and F2F at the within-patient level.
The within-patient analysis revealed that SAI was a significant predictor of CORE-OM in the subsequent session, and CORE-OM was a significant predictor of SAI in the same session. The multi-group comparison indicated that the predictive effect of SAI on CORE-OM did not differ significantly between VCP and F2F. However, the working alliance quality in VCP was significantly lower than that in F2F after the first and the fourth sessions, but not after the other sessions. The post-treatment analysis, using Propensity Score Matching with pretest CORE-OM34, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 as predictor variables, showed no significant difference in PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CORE-OM34 between VCP (N = 89) and F2F (N = 336).
These findings indicate that VCP is as effective as F2F in reducing psychological distress, and that clients can establish a stable working alliance in VCP over time, even if they initially experience difficulties in adapting to the online mode. Moreover, the reciprocal influence of working alliance and treatment outcomes in VCP is similar to that in F2F. This study offers empirical support for the use of VCP, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Psychological autopsy (PA) is a systematic and retrospective method in order to figure out the risk factors of suicide. Collecting materials from the informants and the proxy respondents of the deceased, Psychological autopsy could reconstruct the physical, psychological and social state of the deceased. Studies have shown that psychological autopsy is one of the most valuable tools for suicide research. This paper systematically introduces the research method of psychological autopsy, and its applications in the field of suicide research. Consequently, the paper discusses the research advancement on the risk factors of suicide using the method of psychological autopsy. Further studies should be carried out from a culturally sensitive perspective. It is also necessary to implement the method of psychological autopsy to explore the complex interaction among the multiple risk factors of suicide. Key words:
Subjects: Psychology >> Developmental Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Deci and Ryan proposed the concept of basic psychological needs based on previous studies and conceptualized basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Basic psychological needs originated from the Self-Determination Theory. Currently, measurement of basic psychological needs mainly employs the General Need Satisfaction Scale compiled by Gagn�. The satisfaction of basic psychological needs is mainly affected by the surrounding environment, and closely related to the mental health of the individual; the thwarting of basic psychological needs will lead to anxiety and depression. The challenges of basic psychological needs are mainly focused on four aspects: the content of needs, the contradiction between needs, the stability of needs, and the universality of needs. Future research on basic psychological needs should focus on developing the measurement, carrying out in-depth studies on need thwarting, enhancing longitudinal studies, and conducting research on the strategies of meeting basic psychological needs.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： Progress feedback involves collecting patients’ ratings on treatment outcome by session and providing feedback to therapists on patient progress. Research has indicated that the positive effect of progress feedback on psychotherapy outcome is a promising advancement. However, a recent meta-analysis showed that progress feedback may only have a small to medium effect for non-severe patients. Also, the theory which explains the effect of progress feedback is very much limited. Before implementing progress feedback in China, it is necessary to test its effect on working alliance and treatment outcomes in a natural setting.It is believed that Chinese are taught to obey their parents, respect elders, and restrain themselves to keep family harmony. Such schemas are subsequently transferred to their social life in the forms of respecting authority/superior, maintaining interpersonal harmony, which will lead to an indirect style of communication. Progress feedback from patients’ weekly reports can be used as a correction method for incongruences between therapists and patients without discussing it immediately and face-to-face, and thus can improve the quality of working alliance and treatment outcomes. The current study used a culturally-adapted version of progress feedback in a university counseling center. Research assistants collected patients’ ratings on working alliance and treatment outcomes and emailed the results with interpretations to the therapists, who were then encouraged to use feedback information to improve treatment outcomes.The participants included 48 therapists and 445 patients (of which 350 were used for analysis). Post survey indicated that 80% therapists read progress feedback information based on which they were divided into feedback and non-feedback group. CORE-OM10 was used to evaluate symptoms before each session, and WAQ was used to evaluate the working alliance after each session. PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CORE-OM-34 were used before and after treatment. Multi-level structural equation models were used to analyze the data. Results showed that progress feedback had a medium effect on working alliance but no effect on treatment outcomes (measured by CORE-OM) at the between-person level. At the within-person level, the results affirmed the reciprocal model of alliance-outcome, which indicated that the model is consistent and steady across cultures. In addition, the feedback group had better treatment outcomes measured by PHQ-9 and self-rated helpfulness measured after treatment.The results were discussed under the three possible mechanisms of progress feedback. Progress feedback may correct the bias of the therapist’s self-evaluation on treatment process, as well as the incongruence and alliance ruptures between therapists and patients. The cultural-specific factors may also contribute to the effect of progress feedback (e.g., indirect communication style). The support from regular supervision for therapists under progress feedback was emphasized as well. Overall, the present study suggested the positive effect of progress feedback on the working alliance and treatment outcomes in a Chinese counseling center based on practical evidence.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： Conceptually, prosocial behavior reduces externalizing problems (e.g., aggression) and internalized problems (e.g., depression) because prosocial behavior promotes positive emotions (e.g., to find delight in helping others). Therefore, understanding the development cascades of prosocial behavior tendency, internalizing and externalizing problems is of great value to the promotion of adolescent mental health. Developmental cascades model describes the above-mentioned process, that is, the function of one domain (level or system) will affect the function of another domain (level or system); as time goes on, multiple interactions in different domains (levels or systems) will produce cumulative effects that can spill over and affect the functions of other domain (level or system). Researchers usually use longitudinal data to test a developmental cascade model. However, previous studies tend to base their conclusions on Cross-Lagged Panel Models, which cannot sufficiently answer the causally reciprocal relationship the developmental cascade model described because CLPM mixed the between- and within-person effects. The results of the within-person analysis, which takes the person himself as the control, is more likely indicating the within-person changes of studied variables and their temporal relationships, and thus are consistent with the theoretical hypothesis of the developmental cascades model. The current study attempts to test the developmental cascades of prosocial behavior tendency, internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of Chinese adolescents, and to show how the within-person analysis and the analysis based on traditional CLPM influence the conclusions. The demographic questionnaire together with Prosocial Behavior Tendency, Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale and Buss Warren Aggression Questionnaire were administered in two junior schools for three years. Totally 894 students completed the three-wave investigation. Among them, the age ranged from 11 to 15 years old (12.7 ± 0.60), including 517 boys (57.8%) at the beginning of the investigation. In terms of parents' education level, 94.6% of fathers completed nine-year compulsory education, and 56.9% of them completed high school or above level education; 91.5% of mothers completed nine-year compulsory education, and 52.2% of them completed high school or above level education. Two models of within-person analysis (RI-CLPM and GCLM) were used to analyze the data, compared with the traditional CLPM. The data fitting indexes of the three models are all acceptable, but the results are different leading to very different conclusions. Particularly, GCLM can separate within- and between-person effects; (2) GCLM do not assume continuous development in comparison with RI-CLPM. These advantages of GCLM make GCLM have accurate estimates than other two models. Based on the results of GCLM, the research showed that: (1) at the within-person level, prosocial behavior tendency has a moderate or weak co-movements with internalizing and externalizing problems. The prosocial behavior tendency measured at T1 can predict the internalizing problems measured at T2, and the prosocial behavior tendency measured at T2 can predict the externalizing problems measured at T3; (2) For the girl group, the internalizing problems measured at T2 can predict the externalizing problems measured at T3, while in the boy group, the results did not support the reciprocal relationship between internalizing and externalizing problems; (3) The public, submissive, emotional and altruistic factors of prosocial behavior tendency can negatively predict the next-year internalizing problems, and these four factors can negatively predict the externalizing problems measured at T2. These results suggest the value of prosocial behavior as the potential way to promote adolescent’s mental health, within-person analysis in the developmental cascades research, and also indicate that mental health promotion programs should take the gender difference into account.
Subjects: Psychology >> Clinical and Counseling Psychology submitted time 2022-01-28
Abstract：
Conceptually, prosocial behavior reduces externalizing problems (e.g., aggression) and internalized problems (e.g., depression) because prosocial behavior promotes positive emotions (e.g., to find delight in helping others). Therefore, understanding the development cascades of prosocial behavior tendency, internalizing and externalizing problems is of great value to the promotion of adolescent mental health.
Developmental cascades model describes the above-mentioned process, that is, the function of one domain (level or system) will affect the function of another domain (level or system); as time goes on, multiple interactions in different domains (levels or systems) will produce cumulative effects that can spill over and affect the functions of other domain (level or system) (Masten & Cicchetti, 2010). Researchers usually use longitudinal data to test a developmental cascade model. However, previous studies tend to base their conclusions on Cross-Lagged Panel Models (Kenny, 1975), which cannot sufficiently answer the causally reciprocal relationship the developmental cascade model described because CLPM mixed the between- and within-person effects(Berry & Willoughby, 2017; Hamaker et al., 2015). The results of the within-person analysis, which takes the person himself as the control, is more likely indicating the within-person changes of studied variables and their temporal relationships, and thus are consistent with the theoretical hypothesis of the developmental cascades model (Zyphur et al., 2020). The current study attempts to test the developmental cascades of prosocial behavior tendency, internalizing and externalizing problems in a sample of Chinese adolescents, and to show how the within-person analysis and the analysis based on traditional CLPM influence the conclusions.
The demographic questionnaire together with Prosocial Behavior Tendency (Carlo & Randall, 2002), Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (Wang et al., 2016) and Buss Warren Aggression Questionnaire (Maxwell, 2008) were administered in two junior schools for three years. Totally 894 students completed the three-wave investigation. Among them, the age ranged from 11 to 15 years old (12.7 ± 0.60), including 517 boys (57.8%) at the beginning of the investigation. In terms of parents' education level, 94.6% of fathers completed nine-year compulsory education, and 56.9% of them completed high school or above level education; 91.5% of mothers completed nine-year compulsory education, and 52.2% of them completed high school or above level education.
Two models of within-person analysis (RI-CLPM and GCLM) (Hamaker et al., 2015; Zyphur et al., 2020) were used to analyze the data, compared with the traditional CLPM. The data fitting indexes of the three models are all acceptable, but the results are different leading to very different conclusions. Particularly, GCLM can separate within- and between-person effects; (2) GCLM do not assume continuous development in comparison with RI-CLPM. These advantages of GCLM make GCLM have accurate estimates than other two models. Based on the results of GCLM, the research showed that: (1) at the within-person level, prosocial behavior tendency has a moderate or weak co-movements with internalizing and externalizing problems. The prosocial behavior tendency measured at T1 can predict the internalizing problems measured at T2, and the prosocial behavior tendency measured at T2 can predict the externalizing problems measured at T3; (2) For the girl group, the internalizing problems measured at T2 can predict the externalizing problems measured at T3, while in the boy group, the results did not support the reciprocal relationship between internalizing and externalizing problems; (3) The public, submissive, emotional and altruistic factors of prosocial behavior tendency can negatively predict the next-year internalizing problems, and these four factors can negatively predict the externalizing problems measured at T2. These results suggest the value of prosocial behavior as the potential way to promote adolescent’s mental health, within-person analysis in the developmental cascades research, and also indicate that mental health promotion programs should take the gender difference into account.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Clinical and Counseling Psychology submitted time 2020-12-10
Abstract： Progress feedback involves collecting patients’ ratings on treatment outcome session by session and providing feedback to therapists on patient progress. Research has indicated that the positive effect of progress feedback on psychotherapy outcome is a promising advancement. However, a recent meta-analysis showed that progress feedback may only have a small to medium effect for non-severe patients. Also, there is a limited theory in explaining the effect of progress feedback. Before implementing the progress feedback in China, it is necessary to test its effect on working alliance and treatment outcomes in a natural setting. It is believed that Chinese are taught to obey their parents, respect elders, and restrain themselves to keep family harmony. Such schemas are subsequently transferred to their social life in the forms of respecting authority/superior, maintaining interpersonal harmony, which will lead to an indirect style of communication. Progress feedback from patients’ weekly reports can be used as a correction method for incongruences between therapists and patients without discussing it immediately and face-to-face, and thus can improve the quality of working alliance and treatment outcomes. The current study used a culturally-adapted version of progress feedback procedure in a university counseling center. Research assistants collected patients’ ratings on working alliance and treatment outcomes and sent the results with interpretations to therapists’ email address. Therapists were encouraged to use feedback information to improve treatment outcomes. The participants included 48 therapists and 445 patients (350 were used for analysis). Post survey indicated that 80% therapists read progress feedback information based on which feedback group was determined. CORE-OM10 was used to evaluate symptoms before each session and WAQ was used to evaluate the working alliance after each session. PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CORE-OM-34 were used before and after treatment. Multi-level structural equation models were used to analyze the data. Results showed that progress feedback had a medium effect on working alliance but no effect on treatment outcomes (measured by CORE-OM) at the between-person level. At the within-person level, the results affirmed the reciprocal model of alliance-outcome which indicated that the model is consistent and steady across cultures. In addition, the feedback group had better treatment outcomes measured by PHQ-9 and self-rated helpfulness measured after treatment. The results were discussed under the possible three mechanisms of progress feedback. Progress feedback may correct the blindness of the therapist’s self-evaluation on treatment process, can correct the incongruence and alliance ruptures between therapists and patients. The cultural-specific factors may also contribute to the effect of progress feedback (e.g., indirect communication style). The support from regular supervision for therapists under progress feedback was emphasized as well. Overall, the present study suggested the positive effect of progress feedback on the working alliance and treatment outcomes in a Chinese counseling center based on practical evidence.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
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