Early Alliance, Alliance Ruptures, and Symptom Change in a Nonrandomized Trial of Cognitive Therapy for Avoidant and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders

• Published in: Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 2006-04, Vol.74 (2), p.337-345
• Main Authors: Strauss, Jennifer L, Hayes, Adele M, Johnson, Sheri L, Newman, Cory F, Brown, Gregory K, Barber, Jacques P, Laurenceau, Jean-Philippe, Beck, Aaron T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adults; Alliances; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Avoidant Personality Disorder; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Diagnosis; Clinical psychology; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Cognitive psychology; Cognitive Restructuring; Cognitive Therapy; Counselor Client Relationship; Depression (Psychology); Evaluation; Female; Human; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Medical sciences; Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - diagnosis; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Obsessive-compulsive disorders; Outcomes of Treatment; Outpatient; Outpatients; Patients; Personality disorders; Personality Disorders - therapy; Personality Problems; Predictor Variables; Professional-Patient Relations; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapeutic Processes; Psychotherapy; Severity of Illness Index; Symptoms; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Therapeutic Alliance; Treatments
• ISSN: 0022-006X; 1939-2117
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.2.337

Participants were 30 adult outpatients diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder who enrolled in an open trial of cognitive therapy for personality disorders. Treatment consisted of up to 52 weekly sessions. Symptom evaluations were conducted at intake, at Sessions 17 and 34, and at the last session. Alliance variables were patients' first alliance rating and "rupture-repair" episodes, which are disruptions in the therapeutic relationship that can provide corrective experiences and facilitate change. Stronger early alliances and rupture-repair episodes predicted more improvement in symptoms of personality disorder and depression. This work points to potentially important areas to target in treatment development for these personality disorders.