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Biomedical subjects

L E Beutler

Publications and source records attributed to L E Beutler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

The dilemma of factitious demographic distinctions in psychological research.

Terms such as race, sex and age are assumed to reflect biological characteristics and distinctions. In psychological research, these terms are often treated as if they were a reflection of a meaningful set of psychological constructs. A review of articles in 3 prominent journals over a 30-year period reveals that these supposed biological identifiers are not used consistently and lack empirical and conceptual validity. An analysis of those articles shows that, over time, the term race has given way to the use of the more general and psychologically relevant term ethnicity, sex and gender have been used interchangeably, and the psychological constructs underlying or supposedly reflected in age are seldom discussed. It is proposed that psychosocial researchers and editors adopt a consistent definition of these terms and that research include an effort to identify the underlying concepts that the investigators assume to be reflected in these distinctions whenever these labels are used to report research findings.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1995

Bridging scientist and practitioner perspectives in clinical psychology.

Literature suggests that a complex and often hostile relationship exists between the science and practice of clinical psychology. Contributors to this conflict of viewpoints are reconsidered within the proposition that there are different roads to discovery and that there may be good reasons to keep the science and practice of clinical psychology somewhat separate. Results of a national survey of 325 psychologists are reviewed that support the view that psychological practitioners value research and consider their practices to be augmented by scientific findings. However, they are in need of vehicles of communication that will help them translate scientific findings into practice. Results suggest that practitioners do more to understand scientific findings than scientists do to understand the problems that face clinical practitioners. Ways to facilitate communication between and among these groups are considered.

Communication↗
PubMed1995

Introduction to the special section: the case for training in the provision of psychological therapy.

Recent trends, such as the national health care initiative, have brought into focus the importance of identifying the qualifications of those who provide mental health services. This special section explores the research evidence for the value of professional training among those who provide psychological therapy. The set of articles describe what is known about the relationship to therapeutic efficacy of professional training, training in ethnic diversity, and clinical supervision. These articles suggest that professional training enhances clinical efficacy, especially if type of training, setting of practice, and nature of patient problems are considered. They also suggest that supervision and specific training in ethnic diversity enhance knowledge and sensitivity among psychotherapists. It is anticipated that this special section will promote a dialogue about these conclusions.

Education, Graduate↗
PubMed1994

Patterns of symptomatic recovery in psychotherapy.

Using the psychotherapy dosage model in which effect was probability of recovery, this study compared treatment response rates for psychological symptoms. Symptom checklists were administered to 854 psychotherapy outpatients at intake and during treatment. Sixty-two symptoms were grouped into 3 classes on the basis of probit analysis results. Chronic distress symptoms demonstrated the fastest average response rate, whereas characterological symptoms demonstrated the slowest. Acute distress symptoms showed the highest average percentage of patients recovered across doses. A typical outpatient needed about a year of psychotherapy to have a 75% chance of symptomatic recovery. The model holds promise for establishing guidelines for the financing of psychotherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The intensification and resolution of blocked affect in an experiential psychotherapy.

Focused Expressive Psychotherapy is a Gestalt-based method of psychotherapy which is designed to facilitate the resolution of constricted emotion in patients. This form of therapy is described as a five-step process. The present article addresses the steps of that process which relate specifically to the intensification and resolution of emotions. The importance and rationale for intensification are discussed and related to the concept of restructured schematic memories. Markers of resolution are identified as changes in 'benchmarks', changes in patient behaviour or attitude, and/or a reevaluated stance towards past events. We conclude by citing one of our recent research efforts that demonstrates a relationship between the intensification of emotion and positive therapy outcome.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Have all won and must all have prizes? Revisiting Luborsky et al.'s verdict.

Although most reviews of comparative psychotherapy literature have failed to find significant differences among treatments, it is premature to give up the search for differential effects. There are a large number of patient, therapist, and treatment variables that may mediate the effects of treatments. Given the enormity of the task of exploring potential interactions among the many patient, therapist, and psychotherapy types, a guiding model is needed by which to narrow our search for variables that mediate between treatment type and outcome. However, theoretical constructs that represent both patient and therapy variations frequently are poorly defined. Tests of treatment selection models that cut across narrow theoretical differences among psychotherapies and that operationalize definitions of patient types hold promise for revealing meaningful Patient x Therapist interaction effects in psychotherapy.

Follow-Up Studies↗
PubMed1991

Predictors of differential response to cognitive, experiential, and self-directed psychotherapeutic procedures.

Group cognitive therapy (CT), focused expressive psychotherapy (FEP; a form of group experiential psychotherapy), and supportive, self-directed therapy (S/SD) were compared among 63 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Variation among patients' coping styles (externalization) and defensiveness (resistance potential) was used in a prospective test of hypothesized differential treatment-patient interactions. Results suggest that patient characteristics can be used differentially to assign psychotherapy types. Externalizing depressed patients improved more than nonexternalizing depressed patients in CT, whereas nonexternalizing (internalizing) patients improved most in S/SD. Conversely, high defensive (resistant) patients improved more in S/SD than in either FEP or CT, whereas low defensive patients improved more in CT than in S/SD.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Introduction to special section on theories of sexual aggression.

Sexual aggression is a serious societal problem, yet treatments for sexual aggressors have generally been ineffective in part because of the lack of unified theories to guide treatment. This brief article introduces the Special Section, which includes five theories of sexual aggression.

Aggression↗
PubMed1990

Behavior, affect, and cognition among psychogenic pain patients in group expressive psychotherapy.

In an exploratory study, the authors examined the cognitions, affect, and behaviors reported by eight female depressed chronic pain patients during experiential therapy sessions that focused on anger and depression. Subjects appeared to fit previously developed psychologic profiles of patients with chronic pain disorder: they presented as conscientious, compliant, passive, and rule-bound, viewing life and emotional expression as dangerous, avoiding conflict and risk, denying their own emotional needs. Their reports were compared with the self-reported affect behavior and cognitions of eight depressed female patients without chronic pain, under similar therapeutic conditions. Considerable differences in style and content were found. Implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Identification of patients at risk for nonresponse and negative outcome in psychotherapy.

This study evaluated the use of pretherapy patient variables as correlates of 3 categorical types of outcome: negative response (negative change of more than 1 normative SEest on depression measure); nonresponse (change within +/- 1 SEest on depression measure); and positive response (positive change of more than 1 SEest on depression measure) to psychotherapy among 62 patients with major depressive disorder. By using 4 scales from the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, age, and sex, 75.8% of the Ss were correctly classified into the 3 groups. Negative responders were characterized by high levels of interpersonal difficulty and low levels of subjective distress. Nonresponders displayed moderate levels of both interpersonal difficulties and subjective distress. Positive responders displayed high levels of both interpersonal difficulties and subjective distress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

The relationship of process to outcome in brief experiential psychotherapy for chronic pain.

Six adult females with active rheumatoid arthritis were treated with a 10-session course of focused Gestalt Psychotherapy with the intent of assessing the relationship between key psychotherapy processes and both session and final outcome. Results suggested that high levels of patient participation were related to reduced patient distress, while high ratings of both session depth and session smoothness were related to increased positive feelings at the end of sessions. However, these session results did not generalize to final treatment outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Differences between more and less effective psychotherapists: a study of select therapist variables.

This study examined differences between more and less effective trainee psychotherapists. Therapists were assigned to one of two groups depending on whether the preponderance of their patients' changes in symptomatology indicated more or less improvement over the course of therapy. Therapist variables included emotional adjustment, relationship skills, eliciting patient involvement, credibility, directiveness, and theoretical orientation. Less effective therapists were revealed to have lower levels of empathic understanding, to rate their patients as more involved in treatment, and to rate themselves as more supportive than the more effective therapists. Less effective therapists also valued comfort and stimulation significantly more and valued intellectual goals significantly less than did more effective therapists.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Clinical experience with a self-contained inflatable penile implant: the Flexi-Flate.

We implanted 23 Flexi-Flate penile prostheses during a 15-month period beginning July 1985. Of the implants 22 were followed for a mean of 16.1 months and 19 (86 per cent) function well. Satisfaction of individuals with a functioning prosthesis, as determined by interview and questionnaire (79 per cent response rate), has been good. Deflation sometimes occurs with penile shaft bending during sexual activity but this is managed satisfactorily by most couples via technique adjustments with minimal disruption of enjoyment. Reliable preoperative prosthesis size selection based on pubis to mid glans measurements was not possible in our hands secondary to broad variation in intracorporeal lengths found in the population studied.

Adult↗