15.After conducting a meta-analysis of over 475 out-
come studies on the effectiveness of psychothera-
pies, psychologists concluded that
(A) evidence supported its efficacy
(B) psychotherapy is no more effective than talk-
ing to a friend
(C) the potential to do further harm to the
patient with psychotropic drugs outweighs its
effectiveness
(D) psychotherapy proves no more beneficial
than no treatment at all
(E) of all treatments, psychoanalysis proved the
most beneficial over all other types of therapy
Treatment of Abnormal Behavior 239Answers and Explanations
- C—Gestalt therapy includes the use of dream interpretation. What Jenna reported was
the manifest content of her dream and what her analyst attempts to interpret is the
latent or hidden meaning to help Jenna gain insight into her problems. - B—Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medications and are more likely
to use a somatic treatment than to utilize another psychotherapy. Clinical psychologists
are often eclectic and have good training in many of the therapies currently used. - D—Major depression. For patients who are potentially suicidal, ECT can be a fairly
quick and effective treatment. Its mechanism in the brain is still not entirely
understood. - B—Dr. Chambers first worked with Tommy to create an anxiety hierarchy of Tommy’s
fears, and then attempted to use the counterconditioning therapy of systematic desen-
sitization to prevent the phobic response, which is incompatible with relaxation. - E—The goal of psychoanalysis is to uncover the hidden childhood trauma and make
this unconscious conflict conscious so that the patient can gain insight into the prob-
lem. Psychoanalysis does not offer a cure; rather it offers the patient better understand-
ing of the source of the problem. - D—Psychoanalytic therapy is a long, expensive type of therapy that cannot be provided
at community mental health centers. - C—Deinstitutionalization was intended to result in better services for patients closer to
their homes. Unexpectedly, former clients did not continue to seek out services and
went off their medications. They now are part of the growing homeless population in
America, making up 40% of that adult population according to some estimates. Many
are suffering from some form of schizophrenia. - A—Vic is most likely engaging in client-centered or person-centered therapy.
Therapists take a nondirective approach and encourage clients to discuss their feelings
in a nonjudgmental setting. Through active listening, therapists help clients become
aware of their feelings, clarify their emotions, and take responsibility for future growth
toward their full potential. - E—Prozac is one of a category of drugs called SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors. By increasing the length of time serotonin stays in the synaptic cleft, sero-
tonin becomes more available. Many sufferers of depression see mood improvement in
about 2 weeks. The SSRIs have fewer side effects than the older tricyclics and MAO
inhibitors.