Welche Risiken und Nebenwirkungen hat Psychotherapie? – Entwicklung des Inventars zur Erfassung Negativer Effekte von Psychotherapie (INEP)

What are the Risks and Side Effects to Psychotherapy? – Development of an Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy (INEP) Background: Potential negative effects of psychotherapeutic treatment have been little studied systematically to date. The current report describes the development of a self-report instrument for assessing negative effects of psychotherapy. Patients and Methods: Items assessing negative effects of psychotherapy in different areas of life (intrapersonal change, relationships, friendships, family, malpractice, and stigmatization) were generated via literature research and presented to a group of psychotherapy experts. Items were created with a bipolar scale to avoid negative priming. Additionally, patients’ attributions regarding the cause of negative effects were assessed. Between November 2010 and February 2011, 195 former psychotherapy patients (74.9% female, age M = 38.4 years, SD = 11.8) took part in an online survey, also reporting on treatment conditions during therapy. Results: Of 195 participants, 93.8% (n = 183) have reported to have experienced negative effects in or after psychotherapy. The highest rates of negative effects were reported for intrapersonal changes (15.8%), stigmatization (14.9%), and relationships (12.0%). Reports of malpractice were few, with 2.6% sexual harassment, or 1% physical violence. On the basis of item analysis and content criteria, the Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy (INEP) comprising 21 items was created (Cronbach’s = 0.86). Discussion: A significant number of negative effects were reported within the therapeutic setting (e.g., feeling offended by what the therapist said; stages of dejection). Additionally, patients who described the therapeutic alliance as poor also reported a high number of negative effects. Conclusion: Negative effects of psychological treatment can be identified and systematically assessed via patient survey and INEP. Further evaluation in different clinical subpopulations is needed. Schlüsselwörter Psychotherapieforschung · Therapieergebnisse · Therapeutische Beziehung · Unerwünschte Effekte · Nebenwirkungen · Unethisches Therapeutenverhalten · Therapieschäden