Stats, studies and individuals

We love studies. Statistics that, when collected together, create universal truths rammed home by the sheer weight of their collective number. It helps us smooth out idiosyncrasies, to ignore or deny the possibility of differences that can annoy the smooth running of our lives. So, collate all those numbers together, make the individual a part of a group and the mean result can then be extrapolated out to interpret all future occurrences of similar events and people.

I started thinking about this when I read an article in Daily Rx about a study into the best treatments for depression. The piece is an interesting one, and I am not here attempting to question the robust nature of what is being said. However, and it is a big however, somewhere within the article I lost sight of the person, the individual. After all, depression is a very personal thing and it struck me that would make it quite resistant to the application of norms or averages.

To summarise, the study found that a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy delivered the best results in reducing depression. That's good. I am a student Psychotherapist so it is encouraging to learn that our discipline can play an important role in such a crushing human experience. Putting aside that relief that we are not going to be written out of the process of helping depressed clients I was left wondering what value this news was to me, or indeed to a sufferer. The implication is that on meeting a client expressing evidence of depression I can run my finger down the diagnosis and treatment page and advise a series of sessions with me and a trip along to their GP. I am over simplifying but it makes the points I think.

The problem, and it might just be a problem for me, is that I appear to have come a long way with this client and not actually listened much. Certainly I have failed to engage in any meaningful way. If this was going to be so simple perhaps I should just start selling self-help books with a wealth of instant diagnoses. There's a thought.

My point, (and apologies if you were beginning to suspect I lacked one), is that as a Psychotherapist I am focused on the client. My attention is focused on my client; who they are and what they need. Sure, by the law of averages I now know that there is a good chance that Psychotherapy and medication will help them but that is just numbers at best and at worst a red herring that will lead me away from what they need.

So what does the client need. I would suggest a meeting first, an exploration together of the person sat with me. Whilst I might cast an eye back to the value of robust research my focus is here, in a room, listening to an individual not a number.