Fitting psychotherapy to patient coping style: A meta‐analysis

Over the course of 60 years of research, several personality traits have emerged as potential predictors of differential change in psychotherapy. Among them is the patient's coping style (CS), commonly distinguished between those who deal with change by looking inwardly (internalization) and those who deal with it outwardly (externalization). This study provides definitions of CSs, clinical examples, and frequent measures. We update a 2011 meta‐analytic review that revealed a consistent interaction between CSs and treatment focus—symptom focus versus insight focus. The current meta‐analysis of 18 studies revealed a medium to large effect (d = 0.60) and suggested that a symptom focus proves more effective for externalizing patient whereas an insight focus is generally more effective for internalizers. The article concludes with limitations of the research, diversity considerations, and therapeutic practices based on the meta‐analytic results.