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Systemic Alliance in Individual Therapy: Factor Analysis of the ITAS‐SF and the Relationship with Therapy Outcomes and Termination Status
Author(s) -
Owen Jesse
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00268.x
Subject(s) - alliance , psychology , psychotherapist , distress , interpersonal communication , clinical psychology , interpersonal relationship , family therapy , social psychology , political science , law
Clients providing systematic feedback to therapists via self‐report measures of psychological distress and working alliance have been shown to increase therapy outcomes. However, there are few systemic‐based measures that are feasible for therapists to use. Recently, Pinsof et al. ( Family Process , 2008, 47 , 281) developed a brief systemic alliance measure (ITAS‐SF) for individual therapy. The current study tested the factor structure of this measure and examined whether the subscales related to clients’ therapy outcomes and termination status ( N = 570). The results demonstrated supported a 3‐factor model for the ITAS‐SF (as compared to the seven factors proposed by Pinsof et al.). In the first factor, content combined the goals for therapy, the tasks or methods to reach those goals and bond between the client and therapist. The second factor reflected how clients perceive the relationship with the therapist (i.e., interpersonal dimension–self/therapist), and the third factor reflected how clients perceive the alliance between their social network and the therapist (i.e., interpersonal dimension others/therapist). The two interpersonal factors were related to therapy outcome and termination status.