The Success Rate of Two Therapeutic Approaches in Psychotherapy - Essay Example

Article Review: Satisfaction with Therapist-Delivered Vs. Self-Administered Online Cognitive Behavioural Treatments for Depression Symptoms in College Students Name Course Instructor Submission Date Article Review: Satisfaction with Therapist-Delivered Vs. Self-Administered Online Cognitive Behavioural Treatments for Depression Symptoms in College Students Part a: Summary The study aim was to comprehend the success rate of two therapeutic approaches in psychotherapy among college students. The approaches included self-administered online therapies and therapist-delivered cognitive behavioural aspects. The study provided substantial knowledge on the comparison between findings from both experiments. The comparison was done through inventories such as the ‘Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, which was used to measure the degree of a therapist’s response the person-centred therapy. On the other hand, the Working Alliance Inventory measures the level of personal bonds between the therapist and clients1. Additionally, the study focused on the various ways of development of therapeutic relationships in the experiments. The other objective was comparing the relationships among the three therapeutic approaches including cognitive therapy, supportive/self-directed therapy and focused expressive psychotherapy. The two scales of the study were used to provide information on the validity of the instruments. Methodology The research embraced a quantitative methodology of data collection and analysis. Data collected from satisfaction reports has been used to enhance the delivery of the self-administered computerized CBT in the study. All participants were asked to provide responses to gain more information on the level of satisfaction of the employed therapeutic approach. The qualitative methodology was used in providing understanding opinions from the therapist and experts in the cognitive behaviour approaches. Comparison of the experiments was done through the Chi Square approach. Moreover, randomization was further embraced to ensure the independence of all the participants. Two instruments have been used in the data gathering process that includes the Satisfaction with Online Treatment to determine the participants response towards the delivered treatment) and the Beck Depression Inventory that assess depression symptoms among the participants2. Findings The study revealed various findings that have been generalized based on the results of both experiments. The findings have been discussed in a detailed approach in the article based on the rate of success of the aims and objectives. The self-administered computerized (cCBT) group registered that the approach was easy to administer and had long lasting effects3. Additionally, the results have a common foundation with the eCBT that included anonymity and self-control. Despite both experiments having a different mode of relativity, there were found out to be effective in providing therapy to depression victims in colleges. Implication and recommendations The results have suggested competent commendations of different cases of depression among students. The online approach has recommended for cases of mild depression among students since it is accessed at any time at the client’s convenience. Therapists delivered approaches are used in serious cases where the client requires more intervention from the counsellor4. However, both methods have determinants such as personal behaviours and timetables administering the competent method. The study concluded that there is the need for human contact in during most therapies; hence, the presence of a therapist is vital during depressions. The client feels comfortable during such therapeutic methods due to clarification and a simplified comprehension approach. Part B: Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Quantitative research methods are adopted in many social sciences based studies. The current study focuses on human behaviour (depression); hence, has embraced the research method to provide substantial data in its findings. The study utilized the method to measure of anxiety and depression, which includes the collection and tabulation of data strategically and has to include the results from the control population. The control group provides a baseline for the elimination and isolation of variables. Consequently, the method has various strengths that have contributed to its adoption in the behaviourist study. The quantitative approach that has been embraced mostly in the study has portrayed different strengths that have reflected a successful research. One of the major strengths is the presence a large quantity of data that has been presented in numeric forms. For example, the data has been collected from the participants (eCBT; n=37) and (cCBT; n=43)5. As a result, the numeric approaches have led to the use of statistical methods in analysing and making statements concerning the data. Descriptive statistics has been used to provide accurate data on the percentage of users that have used the online treatment and the level of help that the participants have acquired online. The Chi-Square approach has been used to provide comparison results on the levels of satisfaction between the groups. The statistical method has been used in different studies to present precise results in the chosen population. T- Tests, on the other hand, have been used to offer variation in the characteristics of each group that was involved in the satisfaction measure in the experiments (n=25). Multivariate statistics has been used to break down the data into in-depth variables such as factors that attribute to variations in group characteristics. The statistics employ automated techniques of data analysis that save time and space in the analytical process. The automation is highly required in the deduction process due to the large amount of numbers of the participants. Standard deviations and other deducted variables have also presented the findings through tabulation and the use of regression analysis. Quantitative research approaches in methodology are used to present exact findings on all the variables. As a result, the findings have been used in the generalization of other researches in the similar field. The approach is further used to derive and deduct all facts that have been involved in the research. The results are used to quantify behaviours and attitudes such as those adopted by the study. The quantitative method has fixed response options that are based on the population of study. For instance, the study has exact documented numbers that have been included in the experiments. Findings are based on the number of participants that prefer a chosen approach of therapy. The technique uses outlined responses that the participants are required to choose during the experiments. The fixed approach provides accurate results and minimizes any room for error during the collection of data. Additionally, the quantitative method matches the aims and objectives of the study; hence, providing answers to the research questions. The method also provides a deductive procedure that is used to generalize the results. Deduction occurs when there are various pre-specified concepts of the study that have to be proven. For instance, both methods of therapy being experimented have theoretical backgrounds that require proving. Additionally, the deduction process assists in providing precise results due to the presence of an expert in the comparison and generalization of the results. Manipulation of the P-value is possible while using the quantitative research method. However, the sample size is required to have enough statistical power to represent the population. For example, the experiments have used enough numbers of participants based on the college’s population. Moreover, the feature is used in the generalization of results. Statistical significance is also emphasized in the deduction process due to the enhancement of the sample size. Weaknesses The quantitative research method has a high possibility of errors due to its numeric nature. For instance, the study has used various tables to document the findings of all experiments. The automation and use of numbers may cause a chain reaction that may lead to wrong deductions at the end of the study. Moreover, some of the students involved in the research may lack direct answers to the outlined question; hence, causing confusion in the numeric analysis of the results. Generalization of the sample data may cause biases in the results in cases where there are errors in calculation of sample populations. For example, the study has used college students from the same instauration6. Subsequently, the data may be biased since the students may be under the same internal, behavioural, and external conditions. The generalization of such data may lead to wrongful deductions and findings that may compromise the study. The studys main was to compare and contrast between therapy-delivered and self-administered approaches of therapy using various variables of study. Subsequently, the generalization of results in the methods may lead to the change in preference and favouritism of the approach with the high number of participants. Time and costs are also setbacks of the methodology due to the quantity of the data being collected. Additional costs are incurred due to the presence of control populations in the study. The researchers may lack enough time to attend to all the collected data during the analysis and deduction processes. Qualitative research methodology has also been employed in the studys interpretative process. The approach presents in-depth information due to the lack of statistical tests; hence, the method has been used to analyse the content of the clients response regarding online treatment. Additionally, the method depends on the skills of the researcher; hence, provide is detailed and reliable. Subjectivity is also observed in the methodology since their results are directly obtained from the participants in the study. The approach also acts as a foundation for the quantitative research due to the embracement of theories and opinions on the research topic. Part C: Reflection on the Best Theoretical Understanding The study has revealed different principles of the cognitive behaviour approach as an approach to counselling in depressed individuals. The findings show benefits of each counselling approach as highlighted by the experiments. However, the person-centred approach has prevailed in most of the findings. The non-directive therapy presents an adult-adult relationship whereby an association between two individuals is highly considered7. The study results show that some of the participants requested for the presence of a therapist during the counselling sessions. Human contact in counselling presents an actualizing tendency where human beings find comfort and potential from other individuals with the same experiences. The approach defines that the client feels free from psychological and physical factors; hence, requires an adult-adult relationship8. Sociability is a vital aspect in the counselling approach despite the presence of e-mail and online based counselling. Both parties are required to work hand in hand in the answering and inquiring ideas that assist in preventing cases of depression. Relationships between clients and therapists have to be created to ensure the presence of a baseline for the understanding and analysing of the client’s problems9. Additionally, the presence of a therapist offers expertise in the comprehension of the matter at hand and provision of the solutions. There is also enough time for the client to ask and seek clarification of the presented ideas. The main goal of the approach is to provide the client with a sense of self-esteem that later helps him/her with ways on how the behaviours and attitudes have been affected in a negative manner10. Importantly, both the client and the therapist have to present their perceptions about the issue to ensure a tight relationship. The client is also aware of the problems he/she is facing before presenting the experience to the therapist. Personal Reflection I have engaged in different therapeutic relationships in different social environments. The affiliations are engaged with the aim of helping my fellow friends that may have social and behavioural problems. Having therapeutic a relationship with previous counsellors has helped me understand various approaches that are being used in helping out friends at school. Notably, the relationships depend on the style of counselling that has been used by the counsellor. The cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most common due to the diversity of individual behaviours that affect the social lives of individuals. I have embraced various factors during counselling sessions. Understanding the behavioural pattern of friends helps in the comprehension and identification of any changes in behaviours. Additionally, there has to exist communication between the client and the therapist with the aim of maintain a comfortable relationship. The level of comfort determines the rate of openness between the client and the counsellor. Based on the study, the therapist delivered email approach has a higher success rate because it has the provision for personal contact. The therapist provides more sensitive information that cannot be addressed through writing. Additionally, the same principle works in external environments where clients provide sensitive information to friends rather than therapists; hence, the need for a therapeutic relationship between the two parties. Reference List Langdridge, D, M Barker, and A Vossler, Understanding counseling and psychotherapy. London, SAGE, 2010. Richards, D, and L Timulak, Satisfaction with therapist-delivered vs. self-administered online cognitive behavioral treatments for depression symptoms in college students. British Journal of Guidance & Counseling, 41, 2013, 193-207. Read More