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Voorspellers voor de effectiviteit van een zelfhulpcursus met email begeleiding: Een kwalitatief onderzoek

Valckx, E.B. (2013) Voorspellers voor de effectiviteit van een zelfhulpcursus met email begeleiding: Een kwalitatief onderzoek.

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Abstract:Depression among the elderly has become a growing concern, because of population ageing. It has many negative consequences, which should be avoided. A relatively new form of therapy which can be used in treatment and prevention of depression among the elderly is life review therapy. This therapy uses a person’s memories and experiences to create a more positive life story. The effectiveness of this therapy has been shown many times, but little is known about what factors contribute to the effectiveness of life review therapy. It was the goal of this research to identify specific interaction patterns between a client and a counselor that can lead to a better outcome. To this end, two cases were analyzed qualitatively. Both cases concern participants of a self-help course which is based on life review therapy. A holistic content analysis and an identity- and interaction analysis was made for both cases. Based on these analyses a prediction was made for both cases with regards to the effectiveness of the course. Also, the analyses of both cases were compared. Several predictors emerged, in concordance with what was already known. Therapeutic relation and severity of symptoms at the start of the intervention appeared to be predictors for effectiveness. Therapy adherence, specifically meaning if the participant followed the course in the prescribed manner, rather than if the participant finished the course, and the openheartedness of the participants were also used as predictors. The predictions appeared to be largely incorrect when compared with the actual results. Possibly this was because the severity of symptoms at the start of the course was judged incorrectly by the researcher. Another possible explanation is that the therapeutic alliance as it was estimated by the researcher differs from how it is experienced by the participants. One interaction pattern was identified which could be a positive predictor for effectiveness of the course. In this interaction the counselor downplays the undesirable self of the participant, and encourages the desirable self. This leads to more instances of the desirable self from the participant, while the undesirable self fades. The counselor performs these acts from an empathic self. This interaction also promotes more instances of the emotional self within the participant, which could point at an improved therapeutic alliance. Because this is a qualitative study, the results cannot yet be generalized. It is desirable that more research be conducted to verify the found interaction pattern, and also to find new interaction patterns between a counselor and client.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/64190
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