It is now clear that psychotherapy and other psychosocial interventions are important pillars of effective treatment to alleviate psychiatric symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with severe mental health problems. However, about 30 percent of patients do not respond to evidence-based psychotherapeutic and other psychosocial interventions. This raises the question of how the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapeutic and psychosocial treatment can be improved. To answer this question, the therapeutic factors and the mechanisms of change that these factors trigger need to be clarified. Answering these questions is of paramount importance for improving the effectiveness as well as efficient implementation and dissemination of psychotherapy approaches and other psychosocial interventions.
Our research focuses on the relationships between therapeutic processes and outcomes to answer some of these questions: What therapeutic factors of psychotherapy and other effective psychosocial interventions are responsible for clinical improvement or functional and personal recovery? How do these therapeutic factors of psychotherapy and other psychosocial interventions initiate therapeutic change mechanisms? How are the therapeutic factors of psychotherapy and other psychosocial interventions related to neurobiological changes?
The key topics of our research are:
- The therapeutic factors, components, processes and mechanisms of change of psychotherapy and other effective psychosocial interventions such as intensive case management, home treatment or supported employment.
- The efficacy, effectiveness and dissemination of personalized psychotherapy for psychosis,
- The efficacy, effectiveness and therapeutic components of psychosocial interventions to promote resilience to stress-related disorders in different populations.
- The analysis of the underlying neurobiological and psychological processes, such as the significance of embodiment and synchrony of movement and biological parameters for the therapeutic process.
We started the “Taxonomy” project to analyze the specific and common therapeutic factors of psychotherapy and how they are interwoven as clinical strategies and technical tactics to facilitate therapeutic change.
In addition, we have developed and evaluated specific psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral approaches for schizophrenia patients and are now analyzing the variables and components of the psychotherapeutic process that are effective in promoting therapeutic changes in patients with different characteristics in terms of motivation, relational behavior and competencies. Identifying this so-called aptitude by treatment interactions is of utmost importance for the development of personalized psychotherapy approaches that are precisely tailored to the individual problem conditions and resources of schizophrenia patients.
We are also involved in research to promote resilience. Resilience is an essential factor in maintaining and promoting health and is therefore a trending topic in healthcare. Accordingly, resilience research is a very active research area. One of the most researched topics in this area is currently promoting resilience. The studies focus on a variety of approaches for different target groups. Their results have been summarized in numerous systematic evidence reviews and meta-analyses over the last 15 years. It is therefore difficult today to even get an overview of the findings of these reviews. With the help of a quantitative-integrative summary in the form of an umbrella review of the available systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of interventions to strengthen resilience in stress-related mental health problems, we aim to provide an overview of the reliable findings regarding the effective approaches and relevant therapeutic components. The results will be interpreted against the background of the current state of research and the limitations and gaps in the existing evidence and will serve as a basis for the development of effective and efficient interventions to promote resilience that are tailored to the needs and resources of individuals and different target groups.
Another focus of our research is embodiment, i.e. the interaction between body and motor behavior on the one hand and cognitive and emotional variables on the other. In the context of psychotherapy, we focus on analyzing the connections between non-verbal synchrony of body movements and physiological processes with therapeutic factors and processes (https://www.embodiment.ch).
Psychotherapy and other effective psychosocial interventions are a mainstay of evidence-based treatment and care for psychiatric disorders and the improvement of mental health. Therefore, process and outcome research on psychotherapy and other effective psychosocial interventions are important branches to promote recovery from psychiatric disorders and resilience to stress-related mental disorders, thereby strengthening mental health.
