Jennifer M. Doran

Therapist mindfulness, alliance and treatment outcome

Abstract The present study investigated the association between therapist dispositional mindfulness and therapist self-affiliation, the therapeutic alliance, and treatment outcome. Total therapist mindfulness was associated with therapist self-affiliation, r=.413, p<.05. Therapist mindfulness was positively correlated with therapist ratings of the working alliance, r=.456, p<.05, though only the Act with Awareness subscale showed a relationship with patient rated alliance, r=.379. Therapist mindfulness was not associated with patient rated decreases in global symptomatology, but was associated with patient rated improvements in interpersonal functioning, r=.481, p<.05. All correlations correspond to a medium effect size. The results indicate that therapist dispositional mindfulness may be an important pre-treatment variable in psychotherapy outcome.

The working alliance: Where have we been, where are we going?

Abstract Objective: This paper reviews the construct of the working alliance, beginning with its historical development and moving into its modern pantheoretical conceptualization. Method: Major research efforts on the topic are reviewed. The review includes both theoretical and empirical literature on the working alliance and related constructs, such as alliance ruptures and repair, and therapeutic negotiation. Existing measures of the working alliance are also reviewed. Results: The working alliance is critiqued on both theoretical and empirical grounds, including the strengths and limitations of current approaches and assessments. Recent theoretical developments are reviewed, among them work on alliance rupture and repair and the reconceptualization of the alliance as a process of therapeutic negotiation. Emerging applications of advanced statistical techniques to measure the working alliance are also considered. Conclusion: The review concludes by supporting recent efforts that have attempted to increase the sophistication of measurement tools and statistical approaches, and encouraging future research in these areas.

The Alliance Negotiation Scale: Psychometric construction and preliminary reliability and validity analysis

Abstract Current measures of the working alliance tend to emphasize the degree of agreement or collaboration between patient and therapist about therapeutic tasks and goals. There are, however, both theoretical and empirical grounds to suggest that the degree to which patient and therapist are able to constructively negotiate disagreements about tasks and goals is another important dimension of the alliance. The present study outlines the preliminary development and evaluation of a measure to operationalize this dimension. This measure, the Alliance Negotiation Scale (ANS), is a 12-item patient self-report instrument. Exploratory factor analysis and expert ratings informed the development of the scale, which consists of two distinct factors that demonstrate good internal consistency. Correlations between these factors and the working alliance offer preliminary support for its construct validity. A working version of the ANS is presented and the need for further validation is discussed.

The Perceived Relevance and Efficacy of a Graduate School Journal Among Graduate Faculty and Training Directors

A total of 35 psychology department members from 21 universities assessed the relevance and efficacy of the New School Psychology Bulletin (NSPB), a graduate student journal, to training in psychology. Overall, a small sample of psychology department members viewed NSPB as an effective vehicle for student training. Perceptions among faculty were less favorable than previous research demonstrated with a student sample. The majority of respondents reported that students in their programs learn about manuscript preparation but noted that 50% or fewer students actually publish in peer-reviewed journals during graduate school. This suggests that although faculty members perceive that their students are adequately trained in this domain, a large number of students are not putting these skills into practice by submitting manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals.

The More You Know: The Impact of Publication and Peer-Review Experience on Psychology Graduate Students.

The New School Psychology Bulletin (NSPB) is a peer-reviewed journal operated by clinical psychology graduate students. Forty-four members of the editorial board and 27 authors were surveyed before and after working with NSPB. Results of the survey demonstrated that experience with the publication process resulted in quantitative decreases in confidence, proficiency, and interest in publishing in the future. Despite these drops, respondents reported that NSPB was relevant and effective training, and they rated NSPB and their experience favorably. They also reported that it provided them with unique gains not available in their training programs. A follow-up study 2 months after termination explored the decreases in confidence, proficiency, and interest. Qualitative data suggest that after working with NSPB, about half of respondents felt more optimistic about the publication process, with the remaining half feeling less optimistic, experiencing no change, or reporting a mixed perception (e.g., feeling less confident but believing that they had a more realistic perspective). Taken together, the data suggest that early experience with publication and peer review disparately affects students’ attitudes toward publishing.

Posttraumatic Stress and Meaning Making in Mexico City

Mexico City, established in 1524, is Mexico’s most important educational, financial and cultural centre. As is typical of large metropolitan cities, Mexico City has its share of crime, violence and poverty. It also has a history of natural disasters, particularly large-scale earthquakes. There is a lack of research on the impacts and correlates of chronic exposure to trauma in developing societies such as Mexico City. Particularly, a dearth of research that examines the relationship between exposure to trauma and posttraumatic growth in these populations exists. Recently, the Association of Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP) organised a humanitarian mission to Mexico City to assess posttraumatic symptomatology and identify factors that contributed to meaning making and posttraumatic growth, including socio-demographic variables. The results demonstrated that age and marital status were associated with traumatic stress symptomatology and the ability to find meaning in trauma and purpose in one’s life. Inconsistent with previous research, there were no differential associations in symptomatology or posttraumatic growth on the basis of gender. Of note, the results suggested that individuals who had offered support to others during a traumatic event were currently experiencing lower levels of posttraumatic stress and an increased ability to find meaning in the trauma.