The credibility of psychodynamic, cognitive and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy in a randomly selected sample of the general public

Purpose: To examine the credibility of psychodynamic, cognitive and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy in the general population. Methods: A random sample (N = 121) of individuals from the county of Ostergotland in Sweden between 20 and 60 years of age rated written descriptions of the three forms of psychotherapy. Results: A clear majority of respondents rated cognitive and cognitive-behavioural therapies as more credible than psychodynamic therapy, although the latter was rated as the most credible form of psychotherapy among those who had previous experience of treatment for psychological distress. Conclusions: Each form of psychotherapy appears to have its own 'market segment' with a high degree of credibility to those within that segment.