The stages of change and general change mechanisms interaction (STACIN)-study

Viac o knihe

The debate surrounding common factors in psychotherapy highlights two influential integrative frameworks: Grawe's psychological therapy and Prochaska's transtheoretical model. This study explores the intersections between Grawe's mechanisms of change and Prochaska's stages of change, analyzing data from 253 patients with depression, somatoform, and eating disorders. We developed the SACiP instrument to measure general mechanisms of change and a short version of the URICA instrument for stages of change, both demonstrating excellent psychometric properties. Key findings for clinical practitioners include an increase in in-session progress change mechanisms, such as resource activation, across therapy stages for successful patients. For effective therapy, enhancing experiences of these mechanisms is crucial. Additionally, depressive patients with high action motivation ratings showed better outcomes, while eating disorder patients with low maintenance motivation scores fared better. For somatoform patients, both action and maintenance scores were relevant for predicting outcomes. Action-oriented motivational interventions are particularly vital for depressive patients, while eating disorder patients should focus on strategies for managing relapses. Somatoform patients benefit from a combination of action and relapse-prevention interventions. Our results indicate that for patients in later motivational stages, behavioral change m