Individual Decisions to Undertake Psychotherapy.

One hundred and ten clients of a psychiatric clinic were interviewed to discover why they had decided to undertake psychotherapy. To study this depth decision an accounting-scheme technique was used consisting of five stages, the first of which, recognition of an emotional problem, was the focus of the study. Four typical ways of discovering that one had a problem were found: being told by others, experiencing painful physical symptoms, being unhappily married, and simply feeling diffused unhappiness. These types were found to differ with regard to their definition of the problem, their use of mass media, and their response to treatment. Those who recognized their problem through introspection and could change their self-image from that of a normal to a disturbed person had the best chance of being accepted by the clinic and of continuing their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]