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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Self-Help: Who Does it Help and What are its Drawbacks?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2008

Melanie MacLeod ,
Rebeca Martinez  and
Chris Williams
Melanie MacLeod
Affiliation:
Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, UK
Rebeca Martinez
Affiliation:
Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, UK
Chris Williams*
Affiliation:
Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, UK
*
Reprint requests to Christopher Williams, Psychological Medicine, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0XH, UK. E-mail: chris.williams@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy self-help has been recommended in the NICE guidelines for the treatment of anxiety and depression. However, little is known about who benefits from self-help and the potential drawbacks and problems of using this approach. Aims: To address the current gap in knowledge, we contacted accredited BABCP practitioners to examine practitioner use and attitudes to self-help, current trends of use, and to identify possible problems with this therapy. Method: A 50% random sample of all accredited BABCP practitioners was approached, and the overall response rate for the survey was 57.6%. Results: Self-help materials were seen positively by therapists and were used by 99.6%, mainly as an adjunct to individual therapy. Only 38.2% had been trained in the use of self-help, with those trained being more likely to recommend self-help. Higher levels of patient motivation, credibility, likely adherence, self-efficacy and a lower degree of hopelessness were the five factors identified by more than 70% of respondents as predicting successful patient outcome with self-help. Non-compliance and a lack of detection of a worsening of the patient's clinical state due to reduced therapist contact were viewed as being the most important problems with self-help by more than 70% of respondents. Conclusions: Preferable patient characteristics for self-help have been identified, as have potential problems and adverse consequences.

Keywords

Self-helpcognitive behaviour therapyadverse consequencespatient selectionclinical practice
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 61 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2008

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