Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes
The therapeutic relationship has emerged as one of the most important components of successful treatment outcomes, regardless of the specific form of therapy. Research has now turned its attention to better understanding how the therapeutic relationship contributes to patient improvement. Extant lit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2022-11-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883221136980 |
| _version_ | 1798018434429091840 |
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| author | Quinn K. Storey David Kealy Zac E. Seidler John L. Oliffe Simon M. Rice John S. Ogrodniczuk |
| author_facet | Quinn K. Storey David Kealy Zac E. Seidler John L. Oliffe Simon M. Rice John S. Ogrodniczuk |
| author_sort | Quinn K. Storey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The therapeutic relationship has emerged as one of the most important components of successful treatment outcomes, regardless of the specific form of therapy. Research has now turned its attention to better understanding how the therapeutic relationship contributes to patient improvement. Extant literature contends that a strong therapeutic relationship may help reduce a patient’s sense of existential isolation (i.e., a sense of not feeling understood by others). Research indicates that existential isolation might be especially problematic for men, potentially increasing their risk for suicidality. This study investigated the association between strength of the therapeutic relationship and psychological distress and suicidality among men who received psychotherapy, and whether existential isolation mediated this association. A total of 204 Canadian men who had previously attended psychotherapy participated in a cross-sectional survey, completing measures of the quality of their most recent therapeutic relationship, existential isolation, depression and anxiety symptoms, and suicidality. Regression with mediation analysis was conducted. Two models were tested; one with depression/anxiety symptoms as the dependent variable and the other with suicidality as the dependent variable. Both mediation models emerged as significant, indicating an indirect effect for quality of the therapeutic relationship on symptoms of anxiety/depression and suicidality through existential isolation. The findings suggest that a positive therapeutic relationship can contribute to men feeling less isolated in their experiences in life (i.e., less existentially isolated), thereby helping mitigate psychological distress and suicidality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:24:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-049ced450036442888ae280cc3ed2431 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:24:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-049ced450036442888ae280cc3ed24312022-12-22T04:14:14ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912022-11-011610.1177/15579883221136980Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health OutcomesQuinn K. Storey0David Kealy1Zac E. Seidler2John L. Oliffe3Simon M. Rice4John S. Ogrodniczuk5Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaMovember Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaDepartment of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaCentre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaDepartment of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaThe therapeutic relationship has emerged as one of the most important components of successful treatment outcomes, regardless of the specific form of therapy. Research has now turned its attention to better understanding how the therapeutic relationship contributes to patient improvement. Extant literature contends that a strong therapeutic relationship may help reduce a patient’s sense of existential isolation (i.e., a sense of not feeling understood by others). Research indicates that existential isolation might be especially problematic for men, potentially increasing their risk for suicidality. This study investigated the association between strength of the therapeutic relationship and psychological distress and suicidality among men who received psychotherapy, and whether existential isolation mediated this association. A total of 204 Canadian men who had previously attended psychotherapy participated in a cross-sectional survey, completing measures of the quality of their most recent therapeutic relationship, existential isolation, depression and anxiety symptoms, and suicidality. Regression with mediation analysis was conducted. Two models were tested; one with depression/anxiety symptoms as the dependent variable and the other with suicidality as the dependent variable. Both mediation models emerged as significant, indicating an indirect effect for quality of the therapeutic relationship on symptoms of anxiety/depression and suicidality through existential isolation. The findings suggest that a positive therapeutic relationship can contribute to men feeling less isolated in their experiences in life (i.e., less existentially isolated), thereby helping mitigate psychological distress and suicidality.https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883221136980 |
| spellingShingle | Quinn K. Storey David Kealy Zac E. Seidler John L. Oliffe Simon M. Rice John S. Ogrodniczuk Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes |
| title_full | Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes |
| title_short | Connecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men’s Mental Health Outcomes |
| title_sort | connecting and healing the role of existential isolation in mediating the impact of the therapeutic relationship on canadian men s mental health outcomes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883221136980 |
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