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Science-oriented psychotherapy researchers in particular like to stress that neuroscientific “explanations” are able to contribute to “understanding” mental disorders. In these statements the classical epistemological distinction between “explanation” and “understanding” is, however, not appropriately considered. This could lead to a flattening of the concept of understanding and ultimately undermine the demand of interpersonal communication in psychotherapy. Nevertheless, explanatory approaches to therapy can be valuable and may even play a beneficial role with regard to understanding—but only if they are correctly located epistemologically and used in the interest of the emancipation of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The somewhat crude question of whether we need neuropsychotherapy means more precisely whether its neuroscientific perspective can be useful for the psychotherapeutic practice. To answer this question the traditional scientific approaches do not completely suffice. The 'empirical-technical approach' of quantitative psychotherapy research is of no service here as neuropsychotherapy is only its continuation. Within the framework of this methodology it is not possible to critically reflect on the relevance of neuroscientific research. Such a reflection is, however, the prerequisite for an evaluation of the benefits of neuropsychotherapy. The question about the meaning of neurobiological processes thus leads to the field of epistemology. This 'theoretical approach' is nonetheless only helpful within limits. It provides an important background of reflection, however it needs to remain abstract compared to psychotherapeutic practice because it does not integrate the specific goals of such practice. What is presented here instead is an 'approach of pragmatic reflection'. This reflection departs from a general purpose of psychotherapy from which the value of neuropsychotherapy can be appropriately estimated. After this clarification the approach of pragmatic reflection can be preliminarily demonstrated with concrete applications of neuroscience in psychotherapy. What is shown hereby is that neuropsychotherapy represents a very specific practice of argumention and action, which implements a logic into psychotherapy that does not fit its contents and goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shift work is associated with high rates of sleep disorders. Digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) might be an appropriate tool to treat this target population. Dropout rates in dCBT‑I trials are relatively high. The literature suggests that women prefer face-to-face contact in psychotherapy settings. Objectives: We implemented an online platform to provide dCBT‑I specifically for shift workers. In this secondary analysis, we aimed to examine gender differences between dropouts and completers in our trial. We hypothesized that a higher percentage of women would drop out of the study compared to men. Materials and methods: We perform post-hoc analysis (chi-square tests and t‑tests) on the data from our four-week dCBT‑I trial. Specifically, we compared dropout rates and time of dropout by gender. Results: The trial was initiated by N = 50 participants (13 female/37 male), of which 56% did not complete the program. Dropout rates are significantly higher in women (77%) than men (49%; p = 0.034). There are no significant gender differences regarding time of dropout or other sample characteristics, such as total sleep time, symptom severity, or age. Conclusions: Even though they suffer from just as many symptoms of insomnia, female shift workers may be more likely to drop out of dCBT‑I programs than their male counterparts. This highlights the need for additional research to improve engagement and adherence in dCBT‑I, specifically for women. The relatively small sample size limits the transferability of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the perception and evaluation of admission to a psychiatric hospital from a patient's perspective (QAE-P). Material and methods: Based on existing literature and a preparatory pilot study, a questionnaire consisting of 126 items was developed, and 708 inpatients based in 6 psychiatry and psychotherapy clinics were asked to answer the items. The resulting data were split into two data sets. In the first subset, exploratory factor analysis was used to help determine the number of scales and provide the basis for item reduction. The resulting questionnaire was validated by means of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in the second data subset. Results: The resulting questionnaire comprises 33 items in 7 scales, which assess: (1) helpful, positive relations with staff members; (2) offering of medical explanations to patients and their involvement in treatment planning; (3) evaluation of rooms and clinical environment; (4) dissatisfaction with doctors and staff members; (5) evaluation of handling of ward rules by staff; (6) perception of ward atmosphere; and (7) negative perception of other inpatients. The plausibility of this factorial structure was supported by the results of the CFA. Conclusions: The QAE-P is a short and feasible questionnaire that meets the criteria of classic test theory and assesses different dimensions of the patient's experience of admission to a psychiatric hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unipolar depressive disorders are among the most frequent reasons for utilizing the health care system. Although efficacious treatments are available and further advances have recently been made there is still a need for improving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Alignment of treatment on evidence-based treatment guidelines establishes an essential mainstay. The new S3 and National Health Care guidelines on unipolar depression, the compilation of which was coordinated by the German Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN) and which were approved by 29 scientific and professional associations, is the ambitious effort to present state of the art evidence and clinical consensus for the treatment of depression. For pharmacotherapy of depression differentiated recommendations can be given, also separate from and in addition to psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]