Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Spring 1977

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Ronald G. Smith

Abstract

This study compared three types of outcome evaluation techniques currently used in community mental health center evaluation programs. They were the subjective report scales of the Denver Community Mental Health Questionnaire (DCMHQ,), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and Client Satisfaction as a measure of treatment effectiveness. This study was an analysis of data already collected in a clinical impact study at Prairie View Mental Health Center in 1974. The subjects were 141 patients who had completed both the pre-test, given at admission, and the post-test, given after ninety days. The Psychological Distress Scale of the DCMHQ and the GAS appeared to be the only Scales to measure relevant change following treatment. Only the Psychological Distress Scale was sensitive enough to measure significant differences between improved and unimproved groups, as judged by therapists. Finally, it was found that the Psychological Distress Scale tended to have higher correlations with the other subjective scales than with the objective ratings. Therapist judgments were very highly related to whether or not a patient was still in treatment at post-test. There did not appear to be any scale that effectively measured both subjective ratings and objective ratings of treatment success.

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Rights

© 1977 William L. Johnston

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