title: How many treatment sessions and patients are needed to create a stable score of adherence and competence in the treatment of cocaine dependence?
abstract: The study utilized a generalizability theory analysis of adherence and competence ratings to evaluate the number of sessions and patients needed to yield dependable scores at the patient and therapist levels. Independent judges' ratings of supportive expressive therapy (n = 94), cognitive therapy (n = 103), and individual drug counseling (n = 98) were obtained on tapes of sessions from the NIDA Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study. Generalizability coefficients revealed that, for all three treatments, ratings made on approximately five to 10 sessions per patient are needed to achieve sufficient dependability at the patient level. At the therapist level, four to 14 patients need to be evaluated (depending on the modality), to yield dependable scores. Many studies today use fewer numbers.
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden. Inga.Dennhag@psy.umu.se
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dennhag
authors.forename: Mary Beth Connolly
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Jacques P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallop
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crits-Christoph
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011584:Psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors