Disambiguation of psychotherapy: a search for meaning

Giulio Castelpietra; Judit Simon; Mencía Ruiz Gutiérrez-Colosía; Sebastian Rosenberg; Luis Salvador-Carulla

doi:10.1192/bjp.2020.196

Disambiguation of psychotherapy: a search for meaning

Br J Psychiatry. 2021 Oct;219(4):532-537. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2020.196.

Authors

Giulio Castelpietra¹, Judit Simon², Mencía Ruiz Gutiérrez-Colosía³, Sebastian Rosenberg⁴, Luis Salvador-Carulla⁵

Affiliations

¹ In-patient and Out-patient Care Service, Central Health Directorate, Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trieste; and Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Italy.
² Department of Health Economics, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; and Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford; and Oxford Health NHS Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
³ Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Seville, Spain.
⁴ Centre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra; and Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.

PMID: 33143767
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2020.196

Abstract

This analysis identifies the significant problem of ambiguity, variation and vagueness in relation to the intervention described as 'psychotherapy'. Its purpose is to raise international awareness of this problem and alternative solutions.

Keywords: ICHI; Psychotherapy; classification; cost-effectiveness; disambiguation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Psychotherapy*