Couple Dysfunction, Family Dysfunction, Individual Psychiatric Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
This study is a comparison of client outcomes in two different types of psychotherapy treatment. In one condition clients will receive treatment-as-usual (TAU); the therapy that they would normally receive. In the other condition clients will receive treatment-as-usual but in addition their therapist will have access to empirical feedback on client progress. Clients in the feedback condition will fill out weekly online questionnaires, and their therapists will have access to a website that feeds back the results of these questionnaires. The purpose of the study is to understand the impact of providing such feedback to therapists. Participating therapists at 4 sites will offer all of their clients the opportunity to participate, and participating clients will be randomly assigned to either condition. This should result in a representative sample of client seeking treatment at these 4 Chicago-area clinics.
Interventions
OTHERSystemic Therapy Inventory of Change (STIC)
The STIC is a computerized measurement and feedback system for use in psychotherapy. The measurement system consists of weekly questionnaires, completed on the computer, that target symptoms and functioning in a variety of domains of a clients life (e.g., individual symptoms, couple functioning, family functioning, relationship with children). The feedback system consists of a web-portal where therapists may access their clients' STIC responses, for the purposes of planning treatment, assessing progress, and discussing change with clients.
OTHERTreatment as Usual
Clients receive psychotherapy treatment as planned and implemented by their psychotherapists. Exact type of treatment varies by therapist and according to client need.
Sponsors
The Chicago Community Trust
Jewish Child and Family Services
Catholic Charities
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago
The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Client seeks therapy at one of the 4 participating sites * For Individual therapy: client must consent and complete pre-test battery before the first therapy session * For couple therapy: both clients must consent and complete pre-test battery before the first therapy session * For family therapy: at least one client must consent and complete pre-test battery before the first therapy session * Clients must be 12 years of age or older * Clients must be able to read (English or Spanish) at a 6th grade level
Exclusion criteria
* Clients under 12 years of age * Clients incapable of reading at a 6th grade level * Clients who are blind, or are have sufficiently impaired sight as to be unable to read the questions on the web portal
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in mental health symptoms at termination | At the termination of therapy (varies naturally case-to-case, but an average of 7 weeks) clients complete the outcome packet that asks about mental health symptoms in the previous month. | Clients complete a self-report outcome packet measuring mental health symptoms, tailored to their demographics, including some or all of the following: Beck Depression Inventory II: Beck Anxiety Inventory: Outcome Questionnaire 45: Short-form 36 Health Survey: Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale: Family Assessment Device: Strengths-Difficulties Questionnaire. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in mental health symptoms at 6-month follow up | 6 months post termination | Clients complete a self-report outcome packet measuring mental health symptoms, tailored to their demographics, including some or all of the following: Beck Depression Inventory II: Beck Anxiety Inventory: Outcome Questionnaire 45: Short Form 36 Health Survey: Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale: Family Assessment Device: Strengths-Difficulties Questionnaire. |
| Change in mental health symptoms at 12-month follow-up | 12 months post termination | Clients complete a self-report outcome packet measuring mental health symptoms, tailored to their demographics, including some or all of the following: Beck Depression Inventory II: Beck Anxiety Inventory: Outcome Questionnaire 45: Short Form 36 Health Survey: Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale: Family Assessment Device: Strengths-Difficulties Questionnaire. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactJacob Z Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Outcome results
None listed