In the Munich Psychotherapy Study (MPS), a prospective study with both randomized and quasi-experimental elements, the individual therapy goals of all patients (n=100) were documented using the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS; Kiresuk & Sherman, 1986) method prior to the initiation of psychotherapy. The survey was administered by external interviewers, independent of the subsequently randomized therapeutic modalities: Analytical Psychotherapy (PA), Depth Psychology-based Psychotherapy (PT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Patients' self-assessments of goal attainment were collected during semi-annual follow-up examinations, as well as post-therapy and at the one-, two-, and three-year follow-ups.
Furthermore, the patients' stated goals underwent qualitative analysis and were categorized into three groups: Self, Object, and Symptom. This categorization is based on a specifically developed external assessment instrument and is carried out consensually through consensus among three trained raters.
Preliminary findings from the exploratory study indicate that patients in the PA and PT groups exhibit greater success in achieving their individual therapy goals post-therapy, as well as at the one-, two-, and three-year follow-ups, compared to patients in the CBT comparison group. An analysis of goal categories also reveals a distinct predominance of the Self category over the Object (O) category.
The objective of the study is to explore potential differences in the developmental trajectories of patients' individual therapy goals across Analytical Psychotherapy (PA), Depth Psychology-based Psychotherapy (TP), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Additionally, the study aims to investigate the significance of patients' self-defined therapy goals in the course of psychotherapy for individuals experiencing depression.
Original language: German