Relationships among psychological mindedness, alexithymia and outcome in four forms of short-term psychotherapy

This study explored the relative strength of two patient characteristics, psychological mindedness (PM) and alexithymia, as predictors of psychotherapy outcome. Data were provided by two comparative trials of interpretive versus supportive therapy. One involved short‐term group therapy for 107 outpatients with complicated grief. The other involved short‐term individual therapy for 144 outpatients of mixed diagnoses. Prior to beginning therapy, patients were assessed for PM using the Psychological Mindedness Assessment Procedure and for alexithymia using the 20‐item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. For both trials, the association between PM and alexithymia was small and non‐significant. The therapy approach (interpretive vs. supportive) did not differentially affect the relationship between either predictor variable and outcome. There were significant direct relationships between PM and favourable outcome, and between alexithymia and favourable outcome in both trials. There was an additive relationship between PM and alexithymia in predicting outcome. Implications of these results are discussed.