0
Article   |    
THE CHALLENGE OF RESULTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
IAN STEVENSON
Am J Psychiatry 1959;116:120-123.
View Article Information
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Univ. of Virginia. Charlottesville, Va.
text A A A
PDF of the full text article.
Abstract
I believe these simple rules within our means if within our desires. We should hardly ask less of ourselves if we ask others to consider us scientists when we teach and practice psychotherapy. We can and should learn much about psychotherapy through other studies besides those of results. Yet we can only judge a therapy as therapy by its results and not by its attendant retinue of theories, however elegant and harmonious these may seem to be. Some years ago, Glover sounded a solemn warning on this matter with regard to psychoanalysis when he stated,In my opinion, the main obstacle to the progress of psychoanalysis is the absence, first of reliable statistics of results, and, second, of any followup investigations. . . . Unless we know with some precision the exact limitations of psychoanalysis in different groups of mental disorder, we run the risk of providing new theories to explain away failures(16).These reproaches apply equally to all kinds of psychotherapy. Their truth and the urgency which underlies them should stimulate us to remove the justification for them which derives from our continued neglect of the results of psychotherapy.Abstract Teaser
Figures in this Article

    Topics

    psychotherapy
    Your Session has timed out. Please sign back in to continue.
    Sign In Your Session has timed out. Please sign back in to continue.
    Sign In to Access Full Content
     
    Username
    Password
    Sign in via Athens (What is this?)
    Athens is a service for single sign-on which enables access to all of an institution's subscriptions on- or off-site.
    Not a subscriber?

    Subscribe Now/Learn More

    PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-IV-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

    Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing PsychiatryOnline@psych.org or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

    +
    +
    +

    CME Activity

    There is currently no quiz available for this resource. Please click here to go to the CME page to find another.
    Submit a Comments
    Please read the other comments before you post yours. Contributors must reveal any conflict of interest.
    Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discertion of JBJS editorial staff.

    * = Required Field
    (if multiple authors, separate names by comma)
    Example: John Doe



    Related Content
    Books
    Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, 4th Edition > Chapter 24.  >
    Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, 4th Edition > Chapter 26.  >
    Textbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd Edition > Chapter 36.  >
    The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Geriatric Psychiatry, 4th Edition > Chapter 29.  >
    The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, 5th Edition > Chapter 12.  >
    Topic Collections
    Psychiatric News
    APA Guidelines
    PubMed Articles
    Should psychotherapy consider reincarnation?
    The Journal of nervous and mental disease 2012 Feb