The Combined Application of MMPI-2 and OQ-45 to Detect and Measure the Effectiveness of Psychological University Counselling

Abstract

The main aim of the present study concerns the analysis of the evolution of psychological distress during university counselling treatment, taking into account the initial mental health conditions of the students involved by means of standardized clinical measures. During a preliminary interview, we collected socio-demographic information, academic problems and health conditions of 110 university students who had requested psychological counselling. We applied the MMPI-2 questionnaire prior to the treatment, and we detected the evolution of distress by administering the OQ-45 scale at pre-treatment, post-treatment and 3-months follow-up. Results indicate that all OQ-45 dimensions register a statistically significative reduction during the counselling treatment. Moreover, the high correlations between the OQ-45 scale and MMPI-2 questionnaire underline the consistency of the evolution of OQ-45 scores starting from the valid initial mental health assessment carried out by the MMPI. In addition, we explored the predictive role of MMPI-2 dimensions on the OQ-45 scale: only the Psychopathic Deviation (PD) dimension appeared predictive of the positive evolution of the treatment. This is relevant considering a non-clinical sample of university students in which social maladjustment, self-alienation, and social alienation can represent a real high risk for academic success. In conclusion, data analysis shows the appropriateness of the combined use of MMPI-2 and OQ-45 questionnaires in psychological counselling in the academic setting to evaluate, firstly, the validity of the individual clinical profile and, consequently, the response to the treatment offered.

Psychodynamic university counseling: which factors predict psychological functioning after intervention?

“… Biasi et al (2020) examining the role that certain personality traits measured at the pre-test exerted on the efficacy of counseling intervention, found that the Pychopathic Deviate dimension of the MMPI-2 predicted better outcomes. In addition to the findings of Biasi et al (2020) , in our study, no personality traits among Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism, measured through the PID-5 BF at the pre-test, were related to outcome. As argued by Thalmayer (2018) , it seems logical to assume that personality is associated with intervention outcomes.…”

“…A possible origin of university students’ distress may be difficulties associated with the specific developmental stage of emerging adulthood ( Riva Crugnola, 2017 ). Several developmental challenges associated with this life stage, including separation from the family, the establishment of new social relationships, long-term goal setting, and financial management can, in fact, contribute to the onset of anxiety, depression, and general psychological distress ( Ghilardi et al, 2018 ; Biasi et al, 2020 ). The demand for psychological support from college students is increasing worldwide ( Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2020 ).…”

“…According to Mahon et al (2015) , effectiveness evaluation tools are critical to addressing this gap. Biasi et al (2020) administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; Butcher et al, 1989 ) to a sample of university students who had requested counseling, to detect whether its dimensions contributed to predicting outcomes. They found that students who presented higher levels of the Psychopathic Deviate (PD) dimension at pre-test showed a greater benefit from the counseling treatment at post-test, measured using the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45; Lambert et al, 1996 ; Lo Coco et al, 2008 ; Biasi et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Following this evidence, it seems reasonable to assume that an exploration of the potential role played by certain trait variables (e.g., personality traits) and state variables (e.g., anxiety, depression, hopelessness) in predicting the outcome of a counseling intervention may provide an interesting contribution to the field. To the best of our knowledge, an empirical study conducted at Roma Tre University ( Biasi et al, 2020 ) has examined the predictive role of personality traits and symptomatological dimensions on university counseling outcomes.…”

The Feminist-Solution Focused Counseling vs. Psychoeducational Model: Which One is Better?

“…The first is the dissatisfaction of the treatment given by the traditional approaches as a criticism for the process of mental health therapy (Worell & Remer, 2003;Evans, et al 2005). Second, the mental health must consider the sex, gender and cultural differences in terms of prevalence, etiology, diagnose and therapy action (Biasi, et.al. 2020;Pratikta, 2020).…”