Therapeutic Alliance and the STEPPS Programme
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How will therapeutic alliance affect individuals attending a STEPPS group programme?
IRAS ID
169971
Contact name
Megan Shakesheff
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 26 days
Research summary
There are many psychological treatments, which have been designed for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). STEPPS (Systems training for emotional predictability and problem solving) is relatively new to the UK. This group is designed as a psychoeducation programme. The group programme consists of a 20 weekly sessions facilitated by two facilitators. Research within the US and Holland, as well as preliminary research the UK indicated individuals who have attended STEPPS improved on symptom-based measures (Harvey et al. 2009). This treatment could provide a cost-effective alternative to more specialist treatments and meets the recommendations set out by NICE guidelines (NICE, 2009).
This research aims to look at how therapeutic alliance affects individual’s experience of attending the STEPPS group. Broadly speaking, the therapeutic alliance is considered a reflection of the patient’s affective relationship to the therapist, the capacity to work purposefully in therapy, the therapists’ empathic understanding and involvement, and agreement between therapist and patient on goals and tasks of therapy (Bordin, 1979; Gaston, 1990; Hatcher, Barends, Hansell & Gutfreund, 1995; Hovarth & Bedi, 2002). This will be done using a mixed-method design (including qualitative and quantitative methods). All participants will complete a series of questionnaires measuring therapeutic alliance and outcome which will be analysed using statistical analysis. This research will also involve interviewing eight group members about their experience of attending the group.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0842
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion