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Combining Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches to Single-Case Research

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Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Research

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Psychiatry ((CCPSY))

Abstract

We describe an intensive study of a long-term psychodynamic therapy (PDT) for a young woman suffering from major depression, generalized anxiety, and significant work and relationship conflicts. The study involves both quantitative and qualitative measures aiming to both reveal case-specific mechanisms of change and test the validity of general principles of change. Every other session of the treatment (n  =  61) was viewed in its entirety and assessed on 100 dimensions of the psychotherapy process by independent raters using The Psychotherapy Process Q-Set (PQS). The client completed standardized outcome measures prior to treatment and at regular intervals during and after treatment. A factor analysis of the PQS ratings followed by qualitative examination of transcripts revealed case-specific interaction structures in which the client engaged in affective and cognitive distancing and the therapist intervened to elicit affect. Comparison of the PQS ratings with standardized prototypes revealed that the treatment was moderately consistent with prototypical PDT (but almost as consistent with prototypical cognitive-behavioral therapy). Time series analyses demonstrated that the case-specific interaction structures and adherence to the psychodynamic prototype both contributed to the resolution of the client’s psychological distress.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Tai Katzenstein Ph.D. & J. Stuart Ablon Ph.D. (Director)

  2. Department of Psychology, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA

    Nnamdi Pole Ph.D. & Carrie Olsen BA

  3. Psychotherapy Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    J. Stuart Ablon Ph.D. (Director)

Authors
  1. Tai Katzenstein Ph.D.
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  2. Nnamdi Pole Ph.D.
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  3. J. Stuart Ablon Ph.D.
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  4. Carrie Olsen BA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tai Katzenstein Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Parkman St., Boston, 02114, Massachusetts, USA

    Raymond A. Levy

  2. Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Morrimac Street 101, Boston, 02114, Massachusetts, USA

    J. Stuart Ablon

  3. and Psychoanalysis, International Psychoanalytic University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Stromstr. 3, Berlin, 10555, Germany

    Horst Kächele

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Katzenstein, T., Pole, N., Ablon, J.S., Olsen, C. (2012). Combining Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches to Single-Case Research. In: Levy, R., Ablon, J., Kächele, H. (eds) Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Research. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-792-1_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-792-1_28

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-791-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-792-1

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