Client Improvement in a Community-Based Training Clinic: As Indicated by the OQ-45

Abstract

By reviewing existing data collected at the Texas A&M Counseling and Assessment Clinic (CAC) in Bryan, TX, the present investigator seeks to better understand client response to therapy. Each client receiving services at the clinic completes the Outcome Questionnaire 45 (OQ-45) before every counseling session attended. The OQ-45 consists of 45 questions related to present emotional and psychological distress. The main goal of this study is to provide information regarding clients’ response to therapeutic interventions as measured by their distress levels on the OQ-45. The OQ-45 is an empirically validated measure widely used throughout psychotherapy settings and has been used in the CAC since 2005. Most of the existing research related to dose-response information obtained via the OQ-45 has been implemented at university student counseling centers with a predominantly Caucasian, affluent, and religious population. The present study seeks to expand the knowledge of the field to a more diverse population and unique training setting for budding psychologists.

Survival analyses were conducted and results indicate 13 sessions are necessary for a majority of clients from this rural and low-income population to achieve clinically significant change. Additionally, a mere seven sessions are necessary for a majority of clients to achieve reliable improvement. In a country that continues grow in population size and diversity, more information is needed regarding the mental healthcare system and the response of those seeking therapy, this study provides some of that insight.