Increases in positive emotions may not only be indicators of progress in therapy but also precursors to that improvement. Conducted in a psychology training clinic, this naturalistic, repeated-measures study tracked changes over the course of therapy in 34 clients' emotional experience and two of the primary targets of clinical interventions, symptom distress and relationship functioning. During treatment, positive emotions increased, negative emotions decreased, and improvements were seen in therapeutic outcomes. Positive and negative emotions were correlated, as were changes in positive and negative emotions. However, despite this association, increases in positive emotions were a significant predictor of concurrent improvements in symptom distress and relationship functioning, even when decreases in negative emotions were included in the same model. Additionally, positive emotions not only predicted change in these treatment outcomes over the same time period, but they also predicted future change. This study contributes to research on the critical role positive emotions play in psychotherapy and may encourage the development of interventions focusing on increasing positive emotions. These findings highlight the distinct functioning of positive emotions separate from negative and the value of attending to positive emotions during therapy.

中文翻译：

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积极情绪的增加是治疗变化的前兆

积极情绪的增加可能不仅是治疗进展的指标，也是治疗进展的前兆。这项自然主义的、重复测量的研究在一家心理学培训诊所进行，追踪了 34 名客户的情绪体验和临床干预、症状困扰和关系功能的两个主要目标在治疗过程中的变化。在治疗期间，积极情绪增加，消极情绪减少，治疗结果有所改善。积极情绪和消极情绪是相关的，积极情绪和消极情绪的变化也是如此。然而，尽管存在这种关联，但积极情绪的增加是症状困扰和关系功能同时改善的重要预测因素，即使在同一模型中包括负面情绪的减少。此外，积极情绪不仅可以预测这些治疗结果在同一时期的变化，而且还可以预测未来的变化。这项研究有助于研究积极情绪在心理治疗中的关键作用，并可能鼓励开发专注于增加积极情绪的干预措施。这些发现突出了积极情绪与消极情绪的不同功能，以及在治疗期间关注积极情绪的价值。这项研究有助于研究积极情绪在心理治疗中的关键作用，并可能鼓励开发专注于增加积极情绪的干预措施。这些发现突出了积极情绪与消极情绪的不同功能，以及在治疗期间关注积极情绪的价值。这项研究有助于研究积极情绪在心理治疗中的关键作用，并可能鼓励开发专注于增加积极情绪的干预措施。这些发现突出了积极情绪与消极情绪的不同功能，以及在治疗期间关注积极情绪的价值。