Open AccessTesting for response shift in treatment evaluation of change in self‐reported psychopathology amongst secondary psychiatric care outpatients
Author(s) -
Carlier Ingrid V.E.,
Eeden Wessel A.,
Jong Kim,
Giltay Erik J.,
Noorden Martijn S.,
FeltzCornelis Christina,
Zitman Frans G.,
Kelderman Henk,
Hemert Albert M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of methods in psychiatric research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.275
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1557-0657
pISSN - 1049-8931
DOI - 10.1002/mpr.1785
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychology , distress , mood , clinical psychology , psychiatry , depression (economics) , cognition , perspective (graphical) , mental health , artificial intelligence , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives If patients change their perspective due to treatment, this may alter the way they conceptualize, prioritize, or calibrate questionnaire items. These psychological changes, also called “response shifts,” may pose a threat to the measurement of therapeutic change in patients. Therefore, it is important to test the occurrence of response shift in patients across their treatment. Methods This study focused on self‐reported psychological distress/psychopathology in a naturalistic sample of 206 psychiatric outpatients. Longitudinal measurement invariance tests were computed across treatment in order to detect response shifts. Results Compared with before treatment, post‐treatment psychopathology scores showed an increase in model fit and factor loading, suggesting that symptoms became more coherently interrelated within their psychopathology domains. Reconceptualization (depression/mood) and reprioritization (somatic and cognitive problems) response shift types were found in several items. We found no recalibration response shift. Conclusion This study provides further evidence that response shift can occur in adult psychiatric patients across their mental health treatment. Future research is needed to determine whether response shift implies an unwanted potential bias in treatment evaluation or a desired cognitive change intended by treatment.