title: Evaluation of psychodynamic psychotherapy in a community mental health center.
abstract: This study describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy provided in an outpatient community mental health clinic. The study used a single group pretest-posttest design involving 78 clients. Clinical outcomes included overall psychosocial functioning and quality of life, level of subjective distress, interpersonal functioning and role functioning, measured by the Outcome Questionnaire (Lambert, Hansen, Umpress, Lunnen Okilshi, & Burlingame, 2000). Clients showed statistically significant improvement from pretest (first sessions) to completion of treatment in overall functioning, and quality of life, level of subjective distress, interpersonal functioning and role functioning. Eighty-five percent of clients made statistically and clinically significant change. Calculation of effect sizes for each outcome found moderate to strong change effects ranging from d = .4 to .9. The study illustrates a method of intervention research that therapists and agencies can use to integrate practical evaluation methods into their clinical services in order to improve mental health service to clients, to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions, and to provide data to support coverage for needed services for clients.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37966-3333, USA. wbradsh1@utk.edu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roseborough
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pahwa
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008910:Minnesota; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012107:Research Design; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome