Predictors for improvement in personality functioning during outpatient psychotherapy: A machine learning approach within a psychodynamic psychotherapy sample

Bibliographic Details
Title: Predictors for improvement in personality functioning during outpatient psychotherapy: A machine learning approach within a psychodynamic psychotherapy sample
Authors: I. Dönnhoff, D. Kindermann, S. Stahl-Toyota, J. Nowak, M. Orth, H.-C. Friederich, C. Nikendei
Source: European Psychiatry, Vol 67 (2024)
Publisher Information: Cambridge University Press, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Psychiatry
Subject Terms: personality functioning, machine learning, missing data analysis in machine learning, psychotherapy success, Psychiatry, RC435-571
More Details: Abstract Background Since its introduction in the diagnostic manuals DSM-5 and ICD-11, the construct of personality functioning has gained increasing attention. However, it remains unclear which factors might predict improvement in personality functioning. Methods We examined a sample of 648 completed psychodynamic psychotherapies conducted by 172 therapists at the Heidelberg Institute for Psychotherapy. A machine learning approach was used to filter for variables that are relevant for the prediction of the improvement of personality functioning from a broad data set of variables collected at the beginning of each psychodynamic psychotherapy. Results On average, we found an improvement of 0.24 (SD = 0.48) in the OPD-SQ. This corresponds to a medium effect in the improvement of personality functioning. Patients with initially high impairment experienced particularly large improvements. Overall, we found a large number of variables that proved to be predictive for the improvement of personality functioning. Limitations in social activity due to physical and emotional problems proved to be one of the most important predictors of improvement. Most of the effect sizes were small. Conclusions Overall, the improvement in personality functioning during psychotherapy is determined more by the sum of a large number of small effects than by individual variables. In particular, variables that capture social areas of life proved to be robust predictors.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 0924-9338
1778-3585
Relation: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933824017802/type/journal_article; https://doaj.org/toc/0924-9338; https://doaj.org/toc/1778-3585
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1780
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/87a82c9122e4461c8972fde994ed2f4a
Accession Number: edsdoj.87a82c9122e4461c8972fde994ed2f4a
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:09249338
17783585
DOI:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1780
Published in:European Psychiatry
Language:English