Nichols M P, Bierenbaum H
J Clin Psychol. 1978 Jul;34(3):726-8. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(197807)34:3<726::aid-jclp2270340330>3.0.co;2-x.
Treated sample of 42 patients with cathartic psychotherapy and evaluated differential effectiveness on types of patients. Patients without mental disorders experienced more emotional catharsis than all others, and those with obsessive compulsive personality disorders improved more than all others as a result of emotive treatment. Contrary to popular notions, neither women nor hysterics experienced more catharsis or improved more in cathartic therapy. Although women and hysterics may cry more easily in daily life, obsessives are apparently more able to maintain focus on unhappy experiences and are therefore able to express more emotion in cathartic therapy. Furthermore, it seems that cathartic treatment is beneficial by disrupting long-standing defenses against emotional experiences, rather than by releasing stored-up affects.
对42名接受宣泄性心理治疗的患者样本进行了治疗，并评估了对不同类型患者的疗效差异。没有精神障碍的患者比其他所有人经历了更多的情感宣泄，而患有强迫性人格障碍的患者在情感治疗后比其他所有人改善得更多。与普遍观念相反，无论是女性还是癔症患者在宣泄性治疗中都没有经历更多的宣泄或改善得更多。虽然女性和癔症患者在日常生活中可能更容易哭泣，但强迫症患者显然更能够专注于不愉快的经历，因此能够在宣泄性治疗中表达更多情感。此外，宣泄性治疗似乎是通过打破长期以来对情感体验的防御，而不是通过释放积压的情感来发挥作用的。
