Reduction of incongruence in inpatient psychotherapy

Berking M, Grosse Holtforth M, Jacobi C (2003)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2003

Journal

Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy Wiley-Blackwell

Book Volume: 10

Pages Range: 86-92

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1002/cpp.357

Abstract

According to consistency theory, incongruence between individual perceptions and goals reduces well-being and increases the risk for the development and further maintenance of psychopathological disorders. Successful psychotherapy should therefore reduce the level of incongruence and therapy outcome should be associated with the reduction of incongruence. To test these hypotheses the level of incongruence was assessed in a sample of 62 inpatients undergoing cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) before and after treatment using the Incongruence Questionnaire. Pre-post differences were then correlated with other outcome measures and factor analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensionality of all outcome measures. The level of congruence was reduced substantially by inpatient CBT, changes were positively related to other measures of psychotherapy outcome and incongruence loaded strongly on only one of two emerging factors. Incongruence can be seen as an independent construct. It seems advisable to assess level of incongruence at the beginning of each psychotherapy for effective planning of treatment and at the end of therapy for a comprehensive outcome measurement. The reduction of high levels of incongruence must be seen as an important higher level goal in psychotherapy. Further research has to clarify under what conditions the reduction of incongruence is especially important and what methods are most effective to do so. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Authors with CRIS profile

Matthias Berking

Additional Organisation(s)

Lehrstuhl für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie

Involved external institutions

Paracelsus Klinik Bad Gandersheim DE Germany (DE) Universität Bern CH Switzerland (CH) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Berking, M., Grosse Holtforth, M., & Jacobi, C. (2003). Reduction of incongruence in inpatient psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 10(2), 86-92. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cpp.357

MLA:

Berking, Matthias, Martin Grosse Holtforth, and Claus Jacobi. "Reduction of incongruence in inpatient psychotherapy." Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 10.2 (2003): 86-92.

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