Self-Directed Therapy The purpose of the review of liter

Self-directed therapy consists of diverse strategies and techniques in which patients take responsibility for the administration of some elements of their own care (Beutler, Mohr, Grawe & Engle, 1991); these strategies and techniques have been applied to a variety of physical and psychological/emotional illness and afflictions. Research studies of the efficacy of self-directed therapy for both categories of conditions are examined here.

Self-Directed Therapy and Physical Illness and Afflictions

Many physical illnesses and afflictions require the rehabilitation of physical processes. For example, stroke patients or head injury patients often have to undertaken many physical exercises before their functioning is restored. While traditionally, most of these exercises were administered by a physical therapist, many hospitals and HMOs are now allowing patients to administer at least some of their own physical therapy (a form of self-directed therapy).

There are indications that patient administration of some of their physical therapy is an e

. . .
nesses and Afflictions Self-directed therapy for psychoemotional illnesses often consists of having patients come together in groups and offer one another insight and support for dealing with the condition. For example, Galanter, Castaneda and Salamon (1987) have discussed self-help peer-led therapy for use with alcoholics. According to the authors, this type of self-directed therapy can yield improved cost effectiveness and clinical outcome in hospital-based alcoholism treatment. This conclusion was based on the findings of their study in which they compared two ambulatory alcoholism treatment programs: a control program operated solely by professional staff, and an experimental program based on peer-led self-help (SH). The SH program in Galanter et. al's (1987) study was staffed by only half as many primary therapists as the control program. Patients in both programs were evaluated over the course of one year. By means of the Patient Status Form, a clinical assessment instrument applied monthly, SH patients were found to score significantly higher on social adjustment. On the other hand, retention and drinking rates, and utilization of Alcoholics Anonymous and disulfiram were no different from controls. An inter
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Attitude Scale, Hewer Tinson, Engle Mohr, SLE Braden, Castaneda Salamon, Illness Afflictions, Scale DAS, Albert Ellis, Grawe Engle, Mood Therapy, self-directed therapy, self-help therapy, self-directed psychotherapy, strategies techniques, self directed therapy, patients improved, illnesses afflictions, cognitive bibliotherapy, directed therapy, cognitive therapy, self directed, rating scale depression, hamilton rating scale, engle mohr 1993, directed therapy associated,
Approximate Word count = 1883
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)