Risks and challenges of long-term psychotherapy outcome research: Reply to Jacobson.

Jacobson's (1991) characterizations of the behavioral marital therapy (BMT) and insight-oriented marital therapy (IOMT) delivered in Snyder, Wills, & Grady-Fletcher's (1991) comparative treatment study are disputed, and data are presented to show that both treatments were as effective or more so than previously published marital therapy outcome studies. Snyder et al.'s findings favoring the long-term effectiveness of IOMT compared with BMT suggest that sustained improvement in marital satisfaction may depend on spouses' gaining insight and resolving preexisting emotional conflicts. There are several recognized, accepted versions of BMT. However, neither traditional behavioral technology nor recent cognitive-behavioral interventions may address critical affect or conflictual themes lying beyond spouses' conscious awareness. Whether or not state-of-the-art cognitive-behavioral marital therapy can produce long-term positive results equivalent to IOMT remains to be seen.

Risks and challenges of long-term psychotherapy outcome research: Reply to Jacobson. Academic Article