Clients' experiences of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Metacognitive Therapy in a Danish context
Translated title
Klienters oplevelser af Kognitiv Adfærdsterapi og Metakognitiv Terapi i en dansk kontekst
Authors
Pushparajah, Veenuha ; Yasin, Aisha Abdirashid
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-30
Pages
107
Abstract
Background: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is often described as the “gold standard,” while Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) is a newer approach that is gaining attention. Objective: To address a gap in the Danish literature, we examine how clients in Denmark experience CBT and MCT—looking not only at what helps, but also at what hinders progress. Method: We conducted a qualitative study using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach, which explores how people make sense of their experiences. Six participants took part in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a method that interprets participants’ first-person accounts. Findings: Five themes emerged: (1) Understanding one’s mental difficulties, (2) Methods and tools, (3) The client–psychologist relationship, (4) Group versus individual therapy, and (5) Views on therapy. These themes captured both positive and negative experiences with CBT and MCT, including challenges and positive changes. Conclusion: CBT clients mostly highlighted the value of learning about maintaining patterns, the cognitive model, psychoeducation, and techniques to restructure negative automatic thoughts. MCT clients mostly reported improved mental well-being, especially reduced rumination and worry and shifts in metacognitions (thoughts about thinking). Among participants with experience of both approaches, most preferred MCT. At the same time, clients in both CBT and MCT reported dissatisfaction with certain methods.
Baggrund: Kognitiv adfærdsterapi (KAT/CBT) omtales ofte som “guldstandarden”, mens metakognitiv terapi (MCT) er en nyere tilgang med stigende opmærksomhed. Formål: Da der er et videnshul i den danske litteratur, undersøger vi, hvordan klienter i Danmark oplever KAT og MCT – ikke kun hvad der hjælper, men også hvad der kan stå i vejen. Metode: Vi gennemførte en kvalitativ undersøgelse med en hermeneutisk-fænomenologisk tilgang, der søger at forstå, hvordan mennesker giver mening til deres oplevelser. Seks deltagere blev interviewet med semistrukturerede interviews, og data blev analyseret med Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), en metode der fortolker deltagernes egne beskrivelser. Fund: Analysen pegede på fem temaer: 1) Forståelse af egne psykiske problemer, 2) Metoder og redskaber, 3) Relation mellem klient og psykolog, 4) Gruppe- vs. individuel terapi og 5) Syn på terapi. Temaerne rummer både positive og negative erfaringer med KAT og MCT samt de udfordringer og positive forandringer, deltagerne oplevede. Konklusion: For KAT fremhævede de fleste klienter nytten af viden om vedligeholdende mønstre, den kognitive model, psykoedukation og arbejdet med at omstrukturere negative automatiske tanker. For MCT rapporterede de fleste forbedret mental trivsel, især i form af færre grublerier og bekymringer samt ændrede metakognition (tanker om tænkning). Blandt deltagere med erfaring fra begge tilgange foretrak de fleste MCT. Samtidig rapporterede både KAT- og MCT-klienter utilfredshed med bestemte metoder.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords