Digging down or scratching the surface: how patients use metaphors to describe their experiences of psychotherapy

In the present study, we wanted to explore which metaphors patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) use to explain their experience of being in therapy and their improvement from depression. Patients with MDD (N = 22) received either psychodynamic therapy (PDT) or cognitive behavioral...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC psychiatry 2021-10, Vol.21 (1), p.533-533, Article 533
Main Authors: Malkomsen, A, Røssberg, J I, Dammen, T, Wilberg, T, Løvgren, A, Ulberg, R, Evensen, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior modification
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Cognitive ability
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive therapy
Depressive Disorder, Major - therapy
Humans
Information processing
Language
Major depressive disorder
Mental depression
Metaphor
Patients
Psychiatric patients
Psychiatry
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychotherapy
Social aspects
Therapists
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Summary:In the present study, we wanted to explore which metaphors patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) use to explain their experience of being in therapy and their improvement from depression. Patients with MDD (N = 22) received either psychodynamic therapy (PDT) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They were interviewed with semi-structured qualitative interviews after ending therapy. The transcripts were analyzed using a method based on metaphor-led discourse analysis. Metaphors were organized into three different categories concerning the process of therapy, the therapeutic relationship and of improvement from depression. Most frequent were the metaphorical concepts of surface and depth, being open and closed, chemistry, tools, improvement as a journey from darkness to light and depression as a disease or opponent. Patient metaphors concerning the therapeutic experience may provide clinicians and researchers valuable information about the process of therapy. Metaphors offer an opportunity for patients to communicate nuances about their therapeutic experience that are difficult to express in literal language. However, if not sufficiently explored and understood, metaphors may be misinterpreted and become a barrier for therapeutic change. Clinical Trial gov. Identifier: NCT03022071 . Date of registration: 16/01/2017.
ISSN:1471-244X
1471-244X
DOI:10.1186/s12888-021-03551-1