Department
Psychology, Professional
Date of Paper/Work
Summer 7-31-2022
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
Type of Paper/Work
Dissertation
Advisors
Bryana French, Nathaniel Nelson, Christopher Vye
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between veteran ratings of their psychotherapist’s Cultural Humility (CH), the influence of CH on their decision to remain in or terminate therapy, and mental health treatment outcomes. Method: 139 veterans who previously or currently attend psychotherapy were recruited via public and private veteran organization social media platforms. Participants completed an online survey where they rated their most recent psychotherapist using the Cultural Humility Scale (CHS) and indicated whether CH moderated decision-making regarding the termination or continuation of psychotherapy. Participants also indicated their core cultural identities and completed a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Results: Participants identified veteran status uniformly higher than other core aspects of identity (p<.001) across all listed identities. Deployment was significantly associated with high scores on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7. Veteran perception of CH in their therapists was significantly associated with premature termination (PT) F(4, 77) = 2.97, p<.024, scores on the CHS F(4, 77) = 1.60, p = .014, and the PHQ-9 PHQ-9 F(4, 77) = 2.86,
p<.029. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Van Engen, David, "Cultural Humility and Premature Psychotherapy Termination Among Veterans" (2022). Professional Psychology Dissertations 2015-. 81.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_gradpsych_docdiss/81