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Researching psychotherapy effectiveness in mental health service agencies
Author(s) -
Thomander Darryl
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(197607)4:3<215::aid-jcop2290040302>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - psychotherapist , mental health , mental health service , psychology , service (business) , psychiatry , business , marketing
The results of psychotherapy outcome research to date are briefly reviewed and the reasons why this research has not had greater impact on the practice of psychotherapy in mental health service agencies are presented. Sources of pressure to conduct evaluation research are enumerated. Involving mental health practitioners in field research is proposed as a means of increasing the relevance of psychotherapy outcome research to service personnel. Difficulties frequently encountered in the planning, data gathering, and implementation of results phases of evaluation projects are discussed and recommendations are made for ameliorating these problems. An improvement printed feedback model of program evaluation is presented and the value of individualized measurement, repeated‐measures designs, and experimental case studies in maximizing the utilization of research results are discussed.