From readers' ratings of satisfaction, problem resolution, and perceived emotional change during treatment, Consumer Reports magazine (CR, 1995) concluded both that psychotherapy is effective and that longer, more intensive therapy is more effective. The authors compared prospectively gathered 45-Item Outcome Questionnaire scores (OQ-45; M. J. Lambert, N. B. with CR scores gathered 6 or more weeks after treatment among 302 former counseling center clients. CR perceived emotional change scores were strongly correlated with but sharply overestimated prospectively measured OQ-45 change scores. Treatment length was correlated with CR satisfaction ratings but not with CR perceived change scores, CR problem resolution scores, or change measured with the OQ-45. CR's conclusions appear to have been too optimistic and too general.

The increasing emphasis on therapist accountability and empirical demonstration of psychotherapeutic treatment effectiveness points to the need for practicing therapists to integrate treatment evaluation methods into routine clinical practice. Unfortunately, most private practitioners have little involvement in carrying out evaluation procedures. In this study we demonstrate how patient-focused research was used to track the progress and outcome of patients seen by a clinical psychologist in private practice. Twenty-nine adults and 40 children/adolescents were evaluated on a weekly basis to assess the number of sessions required to reach improvement (reliable change) and recovery (clinically significant change). Dose-response survival analysis results indicated that 50% of adults reached clinically significant change in 54 sessions, and 50% of youth met the same standard in 14 sessions. These results were compared with outcome in large-scale studies. Implications of this study for integrating treatment evaluation methods into clinical practice are discussed.

This study tested the appropriateness of Outcome Questionnaire45 norms for Asian and Pacific Islander students. Both groups scored higher, based on participants' self-reported general functioning, than the norms and more frequently met criteria for clinical classification, a possible indication of greater distress. The authors discuss findings and therapeutic applications.Este estudio probo la conveniencia de Resultado del Cuestionario-45 normas para 10s estudiantes Asiaticos y lsletio Pacifico. Los dos grupos estubirieron un puntaje alto, basado en la funcion general de ser-informo, que las normas, y con mas frecuencia encontr6 10s criterios para la clasificacion clinica, una indicacion posible de anguista mas aka. Los autores discuten 10s hallazgos y las aplicaciones terapeuticas.