Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Counselor Education

First Advisor

George P. Parris

Abstract

ABSTRACT

PROCESS GROUP

VS.

SKILLS GROUP MODALITIES

IN THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MAJOR

DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

by

KIRK DAVID DUNCAN

August 2014

Advisor: Dr. George Parris

Major: Counseling

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a process group vs. a cognitive behavioral skills group modality on depression while investigating the effects of facilitator bond on outcomes. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on the BDI-II posttest scores, and pretest scores served as the covariate and the group membership as the independent variable. When observing Figure 1 there was a visual desired decrease in depression scores, but result was not statistically significant most likely due to the small sample size of the study.

A series of ANCOVAs were conducted with the posttest subscales (i.e., Bond, Task, & Goal) as the dependent variable, the pretest subscales as the covariate, and the grouping variable being the comparison vs the experimental study condition. Another approach was to analyze the three subscales simultaneously via a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The multivariate analysis of analyzing all three subscales simultaneously also resulted in no statistically significant difference. However, in that analysis, it was noticed that only eight participants (comparison group = 3, experimental group = 5) completed the entire pretest and posttest on all three subscales. Hence, analyses were repeated for just those N = 8 participants, and all three subscales, individually, were statistically significant favoring the experimental group.

However, in the latter analysis, the even further reduced sample size of the between groups tests for only those participants who had subscale scores for all three parts of the WAI indicated that Bond were statistically significant. This is evidence that based on this reduced sample size that the motivational interviewing process group had greater working alliance with their therapist that did those who only participated in the cognitive-behavior manualized skills group on those three subscales. Due to the small sample size it is difficult to speak to what some of these results may indicate. Future research recommendations were suggested and possible limitations were discussed.

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