The Effects of a Pre-Therapy Information Audiotape on Client Satisfaction, Anxiety Level, Expectations, and Symptom Reduction

Abstract

Problem. The effectiveness of pre-therapy information techniques on clients' satisfaction at termination of therapy, increased accuracy of clients' knowledge and expectations, reduction of anxiety, and total symptom reduction remains unclear. No single pre-therapy information preparatory technique has demonstrated positive universal effects. This research was an attempt to determine the effectiveness of a pre-therapy information audiotape on client satisfaction, accurate knowledge/expectations, reduction of anxiety, and symptom reduction. Method. The population included 52 voluntary clients who were utilizing the Andrews University Counseling and Testing Center. The clients in the experimental group listened to the pre-therapy information audiotape and were then asked to complete the Psychotherapy Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Client Checklist (CC-Pre). The clients in the control group were asked to complete the same measures as the experimental group, but did not listen to the pre-therapy information audiotape. At the termination of therapy, both client groups were asked to complete the Client Self-Rating Scale, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CS), and the Psychotherapy Questionnaire. The therapists rated the clients in both groups using the Revised Therapist Outcome Questionnaire, Therapist Global Rating Scale, and the Outpatient Rating Scale. The basic research design was an experimental pretest-posttest design. The t-Test for Independent Samples and Pearson's r statistical procedures were used to analyze the data. Results. The pre-therapy information audiotape did not demonstrate a significant effect on client satisfaction as measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire or on client anxiety levels as measured by the State-TraitAnxiety Inventory. The pre-therapy information audiotape did demonstrate a significant effect on clients' accurate knowledge and expectations on the initial administration of the Psychotherapy Questionnaire (PQ-Pre) and on client symptom reduction levels as measured by the Client Checklist (CC-Pre and CC-Post). Conclusions. It was concluded that the administration of a pre-therapy information audiotape would be a successful tool in helping to increase the client's accurate knowledge and expectations regarding thetherapeutic process and in helping clients to achieve overall symptom reduction. The administration of the pre-therapy information audiotape was not found to affect clients' satisfaction with services or reduction of anxiety.