Spanish Adaptation of the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S)

Abstract

The goal of our research was to adapt the short forms of the Working Alliance Inventory into the Spanish language for patients and therapists (WAI-S-P and WAI-S-T). The psychometric properties of scores from these measurement instruments were evaluated in Spanish outpatients with depressive disorders and their therapists. The scores of both measures exhibited excellent reliability in terms of internal consistency and excellent convergent validity. Their discriminant validity exhibited some limitations, particularly when the scores of both short measures correlated with those of two empathy measures. Regarding predictive validity, the scores of the overall WAI-S-P and WAI-S-T significantly correlated with residual gain scores of patients in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) after the tenth psychotherapy session. Additionally, the overall WAI-S-T scores explained a moderate percentage of the variance in patient BDI score changes. These results are satisfactory and similar to those found in the studies that have utilized the respective original versions of WAI-S in English.

Relationship between the nursing practice environment and the therapeutic relationship in acute mental health units: A cross‐sectional study

“…The higher the score, the better the TR. The Spanish version of the WAI‐S has good reliability and validity, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93 (Andrade‐González & Fernández‐Liria ).…”

Improving the therapeutic relationship in inpatient psychiatric care: Assessment of the therapeutic alliance and empathy after implementing evidence-based practices resulting from participatory action research

“…It should be pointed out that the level of the therapeutic alliance was already high in the pretest results of both groups . This may be due to the presence of nurses specializing in mental care and the high degree of experience of the participants.…”

“…The higher the score, the greater the therapeutic alliance. The Spanish version of the WAI‐S has good reliability and validity, with a Cronbach alpha of .93 The IRI.…”

“…On the basis of the theory on the therapeutic alliance, a measuring instrument was constructed: The Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) . This tool has been studied primarily in the community health setting, mostly among professional psychologists . However, it has hardly been used in nursing and even less in psychiatric units.…”

“…12 This tool has been studied primarily in the community health setting, mostly among professional psychologists. 13,14 However, it has hardly been used in nursing and even less in psychiatric units. Cookson et al 15 used it to relate the interpersonal styles of nursing teams with psychiatric symptoms and the coercion perceived by patients in psychiatric units.…”