Relationship between patients' in-process evaluations of therapy and psychotherapy outcome

Abstract

Investigated relationship between patients' session-by-session evaluations of brief psychotherapy and outcome. Twenty-eight patients were seen by six therapists for a mean of 10 sessions in a university health service setting. In addition to the session evaluations, which were administered at the conclusion of the second session and each session thereafter, a variety of dependent measures were administered pre and post. Factor analysis of these dependent measures yielded three factors, which were correlated with session evaluation scores. Results indicated that patients' in-process evaluations were correlated significantly and positively with some positive treatment outcome measures, especially achievement of patients' specified treatment goals, but only during initial and final phases of therapy. Results were interpreted as supportive of Mann's model of brief psychotherapy.