The Relationships Between Hope and Outcomes at the Pretreatment, Beginning, and Later Phases of Psychotherapy

Individual differences in self-reported hope assessed before and during treatment were related to outcome markers of therapeutic improvement. Clients were assigned to either a motivational orientation group or a waiting list group. All clients thereafter received 12 weeks of individual therapy. As hypothesized, higher baseline hope was associated with greater client well-being, functioning and coping, and regulation of emotional distress and fewer symptoms. High- relative to low-hope clients also reported that the orientation group was significantly more helpful. As hypothesized, agency scores (tapping motivation) from baseline were associated with positive changes in outcome variables early in therapy, and pathways scores (tapping planfulness) from baseline were associated with positive changes in later therapy sessions. The implications of these findings are discussed.