Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NIP) : Psychometric characteristics of the Czech version

Objective. The Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NIP) is a new and promising tool for measuring clients’ preferences regarding psychotherapy. However, the psychometric evaluation of this measure is scarce in general and completely missing for the Czech adaptation of the measure. This study aimed to test the Czech version of the C-NIP factor structure, test its measurement invariance, and establish cut points. Methods. N = 772 adults answered the C-NIP in an online survey. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to test the factor structure and assess the C-NIP measurement invariance between men and women and across several levels of psychotherapy experience. Results. The original four-factor model was not supported. Instead, a five-factor model was suggested that fit the data adequately and was strictly invariant with respect to gender and levels of experience with psychotherapy. Conclusions. The Czech C-NIP can be considered a valid and reliable measure of clients’ preferences regarding psychotherapy. The replication of the new factor model is needed

Jak zní město? Zvukové prostředí města z hlediska konceptu sonosféry

Snaha o rehabilitaci významu zvuku jako nejen fyzikálního, ale především sociálního a kulturního fenoménu vedla na konci šedesátých let 20. století k formování nového, od počátku interdisciplinárně konstituovaného oboru akustické ekologie, který dal posléze vzniknout oblasti dnes souhrnně označované jako soundscape studies. Předkládaný příspěvek vychází z této myšlenkové a výzkumné tradice a hledá odpovědi na otázky „Jaké je zvukové prostředí současného města?“ a „Jak je toto zvukové prostředí prožíváno jeho obyvateli?“

Facets of the psychotherapy relationship : a metaphorical approach

Although many separate aspects of the psychotherapy relationship have been studied, including empathy, working alliance, and self-disclosure, a metaphorical approach has the potential to generate a more holistic perspective of this phenomenon. Hence, the goal of this study was to explore the nature of the psychotherapy relationship from the psychotherapists’ perspective using a metaphorical approach. In an online survey, a sample of N=373 Czech psychotherapists and counselors rated a set of relational metaphors in terms of how accurately they depicted their roles in their relationships with their clients. The single most endorsed metaphor for the practitioner’s role was a guide. Furthermore, the principal component analysis identified three relational components, namely, Mentor, Resource Supplier, and Remedy Distributor. The associations among these components and multiple practitioners’ variables, including demographic and practice-related variables and theoretical orientation, were explored. These three components represent general dimensions of the psychotherapy relationship that cut across various theoretical orientations and, thus, define psychotherapy relationships in a general sense

Psychometric evaluation of the Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation – General Population : Czech version

Objectives. This study aimed to assess psychometric properties, such as reliability, construct validity, and cut-off scores, for the Czech version of the Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation – General Population (GP-CORE) questionnaire, a tool usable for repeated measurement of psychological distress within routine clinical settings. Participants and setting. Two general populations and one clinical sample were used with N values of 420, 394, and 345, respectively. Hypotheses. One of the competing theoretical factor solutions will demonstrate the best fit. Statistical analysis. To examine the factor structure of the GP-CORE, a confirmatory multidimensional item response theory analysis (graded response model) was employed. Results. The best fitting model was a bifactor solution representing one content domain of overall distress and two item wording domains (positively and negatively worded items). Clinical cut-off scores were determined to be 1.85 (men) and 1.90 (women). Study limitations. The GP-CORE can be used as an unidimensional measure of overall distress, but users have to be aware of the influence of positive vs. negative item wording on the responses

Využívání psychoterapeutických technik v praxi

Cíl. Cílem této studie bylo prozkoumat využívání psychoterapeu­tických technik u českých psychoterapeutů a také souvislost mezi využíváním různých technik a proměnnými vztahujícími se k osobě terapeuta a jeho praxi. Vzorek. Vzorek tvořilo N = 373 českých psychoterapeutů reprezentujících různou délku praxe, různé terapeutické přístupy i kontext, v němž psychoterapeutické služby poskytují. Metoda. Data byla získávána pomocí online dotazníku. Výsledky. Analýza hlavních komponent identifikovala šest komponent (psychodynamické, systemické, humanistické, kognitivně-behaviorální, psychoedukační a neverbální/na tělo zaměřené techniky) a regresní analýza následně prokázala jejich vztah s pohlavím, délkou praxe a pracovní zátěží terapeutů. Klastrová analýza nakonec odhalila sedm různých profilů terapeutů podle využívání jednotlivých komponent. Výsledky naznačují velkou variabilitu v používání terapeutických technik, která překračuje hranice jednotlivých terapeutických přístupů. Limity. Seznam technik byl omezený, studie byla založena na sebeposouzení, postup tvorby vzorku neumožnil stanovit návratnost.Objectives. The aim of this study was to explore the use of psychotherapeutic techniques in Czech psychotherapists and the relationship between the use of different techniques and variables related to the therapists and their practice. Sample. The sample consisted of N = 373 Czech psychotherapists who represented different lengths of practice, various theoretical orientations, and contexts in which they provided psychotherapy. Method. The data was collected via an online questionnaire. Results. Six components were identified using principal component analysis (psychodynamic, systemic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, psycho-educational and non-verbal/body-oriented techniques) and subsequent regression analysis revealed their relationship to therapists’ gender, length of practice and workload. Finally, cluster analysis identified seven different therapists’ profiles based on the use of the technique components. The results suggest great variability in the use of therapeutic techniques which extends beyond the boundaries of theoretical orientations. Limitations. The list of techniques was limited, the study was based on self-report, and the sampling method did not allow us to report the response rate

Personal therapeutic approach in Gestalt therapists working with clients suffering from medically unexplained psychosomatic symptoms

Treatment specificity and adherence to treatment manuals represent essential components of the medical model in psychotherapy. The model assumes that psychotherapists who work with the same type of clients and who identify with the same theoretical approach work very similarly. This study illustrates the shortcomings of that assumption and explores how therapists’ individuality forms and shapes their unique approaches that resonate with their own personalities, inclinations, and worldviews. Semi-structured interviews with eight Gestalt therapists working with clients who experienced medically unexplained physical symptoms were analysed using the grounded theory method. Considerable differences were found among the therapists within four domains of the personal therapeutic approach, namely Case Conceptualization, Therapeutic Task, Therapist’s Position, and Alternative Strategy. However, regardless of the differences, all the therapists endeavoured, either implicitly or explicitly, to convey to the clients what they considered to be healthy functioning. There is considerable diversity in the way therapists work even when they subscribe to the same psychotherapeutic approach and work with the same type of clients. The exploration of psychotherapists’ usual strategies, as well as the alternative strategies they use when their usual strategies do not work, appears helpful for capturing their personal therapeutic approaches

The associations between interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation, acceptance, and well-being in patients receiving multicomponent treatment: a dynamic panel network model

Mechanisms of change represent the cornerstone of the therapeutic process. This study aimed to investigate how network models could be used to test mechanisms of change at a group level. A secondary aim was to investigate which of the several hypothesized mechanisms (emotion regulation, interoceptive awareness, and acceptance) are related to changes in psychological well-being. The sample comprised adult patients suffering from psychological disorders (N=444; 70% women) from 7 clinical sites in the Czech Republic who were undergoing groupbased multicomponent treatment composed mainly of psychodynamic psychotherapy (lasting from 4 to 12 weeks depending on the clinical site). Data were collected weekly using the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation skills questionnaire, chronic pain acceptance questionnaire-symptoms and outcome rating scale. A lag-1 longitudinal network model was employed for exploratory analysis of the panel data. The pruned final model demonstrated a satisfactory fit. Three networks were computed, i.e., temporal, contemporaneous, and between-person networks. The most central node was the modification of negative emotions. Mechanisms that were positively associated with well-being included modification, readiness to confront negative emotions, activity engagement, and trust in bodily signals. Acceptance of negative emotions showed a negative association with well-being. Moreover, noticing bodily sensations, not worrying, and self-regulation contributed indirectly to changes in well-being. In conclusion, the use of network methodology to model panel data helped generate novel hypotheses for future research and practice; for instance, well-being could be actively contributing to other mechanisms, not just a passive outcome

Autocorrelation Screening: A Potentially Efficient Method for Detecting Repetitive Response Patterns in Questionnaire Data

Valid data are essential for making correct theoretical and practical implications. Hence, efficient methods for detecting and excluding data with dubious validity are highly valuable in any field of science. This paper introduces the idea of applying autocorrelation analysis on self-report questionnaires with single-choice numbered, preferably Likert-type, scales in order to screen out potentially invalid data, specifically repetitive response patterns. We explain mathematical principles of autocorrelation in a simple manner and illustrate how to efficiently perform detection of invalid data and how to correctly interpret the results. We conclude that autocorrelation screening could be a valuable screening tool for assessing the quality of self-report questionnaire data. We present a summary of the method’s biggest strengths and weaknesses, together with functional tools to allow for an easy execution of autocorrelation screening by researchers, and even practitioners or the broad public. Our conclusions are limited by the current absence of empirical evidence about the practical usefulness of this method

Jak jednoduše provést a napsat případovou studii : Vodítka pro psychoterapeuty v praxi

Případové studie představují metodologii vhodnou pro výzkum zaměřený na praxi. Článek představí případové studie jako přirozený způsob poznávání, při kterém mohou psychoterapeuti využít dovednosti, které jsou běžnou součástí jejich psychoterapeutické praxe. V článku jsou vysvětleny základní kroky při realizaci případové studie: (1) Odhodlání (Proč dělat případové studie?); (2) Příprava (Co se chceme dozvědět?); (3) Sběr dat (Jak by mohla vypadat minimalistická varianta?); (4) Zpracování a sepsání (Obvyklá struktura empirické studie). Článek představí případové studie jako smysluplný a obohacující způsob začlenění výzkumu do psychoterapeutického výcviku i do profesního rozvoje psychoterapeutů v praxi.Case studies represent a methodology suitable for practice-oriented research. In this article, case studies are introduced as a natural way of gaining knowledge, within which psychotherapists can use skills which are a natural part of their psychotherapy practice. Basic steps of conducting a case study are explained in the article: (1) etermination (Why do we do case study?);(2) Preparation (What do we want to know?); (3) Data collection (What could a minimalistic version look like?); (4) Analysing and writing down (The usual structure of an empirical study). The article introduces case studies as a meaningful and enriching way of integrating research into psychotherapy training and professional development of psychotherapists in practice

Vnímané překážky vstupu do psychoterapie

Cíl: Cílem studie bylo prozkoumat, jaké překážky dospělí lidé vnímají při rozhodování o vstupu do psychoterapie a jak tyto překážky souvisí s rozhodnutím psychoterapii zahájit. Soubor a metoda: Výzkumný soubor tvořilo 392 dospělých respondentů, kteří během posledních pěti let zvažovali zahájení individuální psychoterapie. Respondenti vyplnili dotazník zaměřený na vnímané překážky vstupu do psychoterapie, fázi rozhodování vstoupit do psychoterapie a intenzitu potíží. Hypotézy: Studie měla explorační charakter, zaměřila se na následující otázky: a) Jak vnímají lidé závažnost jednotlivých překážek vstupu do psychoterapie? b) Jaké skupiny (hlavní komponenty) překážek pro vstup do psychoterapie můžeme identifikovat? c) Jak souvisí závažnost vnímaných překážek s rozhodnutím vstoupit do psychoterapie? Statistická analýza: Množství překážek autoři nejprve redukovali pomocí analýzy hlavních komponent. Souvislost fáze rozhodování o vstupu do psychoterapie s dalšími proměnnými byla ověřována pomocí multinomiální regresní analýzy. Výsledky: Jako nejzávažnější překážka byla vnímána cena psychoterapie, následovaly zábrany v odhalování emocí před ostatními a pocit, že vlastní potíže nejsou tak závažné jako potíže lidí navštěvujících psychoterapii. Respondenti, kteří zavrhli vstup do psychoterapie, byli starší, vyjadřovali větší nedůvěru k psychoterapii a vnímali ji jako více stigmatizující než ti, kdo kontaktovali terapeuta. Účastníci, kteří vstup do terapie zvažovali (ale terapeuta nekontaktovali), vykazovali nižší míru potíží a vnímali psychoterapii jako více stigmatizující než ti, kdo kontaktovali terapeuta. Omezení studie: Limity studie jsou nereprezentativnost výzkumného souboru a využití delšího časového rozmezí pro retrospektivní hodnocení úrovně potíží a významnosti překážek.Objectives. The study aimed to explore which barriers adult people perceive when deciding whether to enter psychotherapy and how these barriers influence their decision to start psychotherapy. Sample and setting. The sample consisted of 392 adult respondents who considered entering individual psychotherapy during the last five years. They completed a questionnaire on perceived barriers to entering psychotherapy, the phase of decision-making, and the severity of psychological symptoms. Hypotheses. This was an exploratory study with the following questions: a) What is the perceived importance of specific barriers to entering psychotherapy? b) What groups (principal components) of barriers to entering psychotherapy can be identified? c) What is the relationship between the perceived importance of barriers and the decision to enter psychotherapy? Statistical analysis. The number of barriers was reduced using PCA. The relationship of the decision-making phase to other variables was explored via multinomial regression analysis. Results. The most severe barrier to entering psychotherapy were price, reluctance to express emotions in front of others and the assumption that one’s problems were not as severe as the problems of people in psychotherapy. Respondents who decided not to enter psychotherapy were older, expressed more distrust of psychotherapy, and perceived it as more stigmatizing than those who contacted a therapist. Respondents who decided to enter psychotherapy (but who had not contacted a therapist) had less severe symptoms and perceived psychotherapy as more stigmatizing than those who contacted a therapist. Study limitations. Limits of the study include a non-representative sample and the time window used for the retrospective rating of symptoms and barriers