Relationships Among Patients' Interpersonal Behaviors in Sessions, Therapist Competence, and the Therapeutic Alliance in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the reciprocal relationships between patient interpersonal behavior (IB), therapist competence, and the alliance within- and between-persons.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted of a randomized controlled trial with 67 cognitive behavior therapists and 114 patients with depression. The therapists evaluated their patients' IB, and they both judged the alliance. Pre- and post-treatment, the patients indicated their general levels of interpersonal problems. Every fourth session, independent raters judged the patients' IB and therapists' competence. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel analyses were calculated.

Results

First, intraindividual deviations in patient IB were associated with deviations in therapist competence or the alliance (wit

SUBMITTER: Maaß U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12688284 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature