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Drz%%iId Oken                            .     .-

                                                  .
Clinical Research -Branch                        . -

National Institute of Mental Health
5454 Wisconsin Avenue
.chevy Chase, Maryland                j
                                           
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COORDINATED RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY:

A Critical Review of Issues,

Trends, and Evidencel' **'

1

bY

. .  ;, SOME EMPIRICAL-AND CONCEPTUAL BASES FOR

Hans H. Strupp

Vanderbilt University

and

Allen E. Bergin T& 4. ~t.fcJ

Thus far,

               Teachers College,  Columbia


research in psychotherapy has'failed to make a deep

ce and technique.  Presumably,  this is due to the fact

pact on practi

--.--------- I_--.- -.-..-. --_-_

that the results of most investigations have not had substantial practiDeP2rtment of b&tics
                                              School of Medicine
kal significance.  Reasons for this include the relatively short periodSf2nford University   :
,                                             Palo Alto, Wifornb

of time systematic research has been focused on the problems of

therapy, deficiences in techniques available to the researcher,

practical difficulties in designing and carrying out adequately
                                                            o
trolled studies.

psycho- @ A II Liz)

and       P


con-

Q

Most researchers have been faced with serious limitations in col-

=c
rr\

letting and analyzing data from representative samples of patients and
therapists; follow-up studies have been difficult to carry out; the cru-
cial requirement of enlisting the full cooperationof therapists, pa-

t

tients, and institutions has been a continual stumbling blodk, and in
general rigorous designs have been difficult to impose upon the thera-
-
Feutic phenomena themselves.  Researchers who have attacked problems in
the area through experimental analogues and similar techniques frequently
have been unable to relate their findings to actual therapy situations.
';OTE:  This document is a draft, subject to revisions before publication.
    Several persons have already sent comments and suggestions to
    the authors; their assistance is greatly appreciated and will be
    properly acknowledged in the final version.