ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In routine outcome monitoring (rom) generic instruments are often used to measure outcomes. This could hamper the clinical use of these instruments and lead to a possible underestimation of treatment outcomes.
AIM: To examine whether there are differences in the degree of progress between outcomes of disorder specific instruments measuring anxiety symptoms and the Symptomatic Distress subscale of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (oq-45-sd).
METHOD: Data from 604 patients with an anxiety disorder were analyzed. The mean change scores, percentages of reliable change and effect sizes on the oq-45-sd were compared to the outcomes of seven commonly used instruments that specifically measure the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
RESULTS: The effect sizes on the oq-45-sd and the disorder specific instruments were 0.80 or higher. The correlation between the change scores was moderate, as was the correspondence between the degree to which patients improved reliably. In one third to half of the cases changes on the oq-45-sd and on the disorder specific instruments were not in agreement.
CONCLUSION: The treatment outcomes of the oq-45-sd are approximately as positive as those of the disorder specific instruments. However, discrepancies existed in the extent to which patients had improved. In accordance with the advice of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, the use of both kinds of instruments is advised when evaluating the progress of the treatment.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Patient Outcome Assessment , Psychometrics/standards , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Health , Middle Aged , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Writing Therapy (CBWT) in 23 children (age 8-18 years) in the Netherlands, who experienced a range of single and recurrent traumatic experiences. CBWT uses exposure, cognitive restructuring and social sharing. METHODS: At pre-test, post-test and follow-up, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, trauma-related cognitions and general behavioural problems were assessed. RESULTS: At post-test there was a significant reduction of all symptoms, and this effect was maintained at 6 months follow-up. The mean amount of treatment sessions needed was 5.5. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that short-term CBWT is a potentially effective intervention for clinically referred traumatized children. There is now a clear need of establishing the effectiveness of CBWT in a randomized, controlled trial. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: This first study indicates CBWT is a promising treatment, which can easily be used in clinical practice.
Subject(s)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Writing , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Affective Symptoms/diagnosis , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Affective Symptoms/therapy , Attitude , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Child Behavior Disorders/therapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Comorbidity , Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Depressive Disorder/therapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Implosive Therapy/methods , Judgment , Life Change Events , Male , Narration , Netherlands , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Psychometrics , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychologyABSTRACT
Trauma-related cognitions play an increasingly prominent role in research on trauma and in clinical practice. The present study investigated the psychometric characteristics of the Dutch version of the posttraumatic cognitions inventory (PTCI) and evaluated its potential as an outcome measure. Data were collected from a treatment-seeking sample of trauma victims (n=158) and a college sample (n=178). The PTCI's three-factor structure was retained in both samples. The PTCI demonstrated high internal consistency and two-week test-retest reliability. Convergent validity was evidenced by a pattern of correlations with instruments for trauma-related cognitions, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depressive symptoms that largely met a priori expectations. Reductions in self-reported and clinician-assessed posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were positively associated with decreased PTCI scores, indicating that the PTCI could assist treatment evaluation. It is concluded that the Dutch version of the PTCI exhibits good psychometric characteristics and has the potential to contribute to trauma-related research.
