title: Enhancing psychotherapy process with common factors feedback: A randomized, clinical trial.
abstract: In this study, we developed and tested a common factors feedback (CFF) system. The CFF system was designed to provide ongoing feedback to clients and therapists about client ratings of three common factors: (a) outcome expectations, (b) empathy, and (c) the therapeutic alliance. We evaluated the CFF system using randomized, clinical trial (RCT) methodology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clients were 79 undergraduates who reported mild, moderate, or severe depressive symptoms at screening and pretreatment assessments. These clients were randomized to either: (a) treatment as usual (TAU) or (b) treatment as usual plus the CFF system (TAU + CFF). Both conditions entailed 5 weekly sessions of evidence-based therapy delivered by doctoral students in clinical psychology. Clients completed measures of common factors (i.e., outcome expectations, empathy, therapeutic alliance) and outcome at each session. Clients and therapists in TAU + CFF received feedback on client ratings of common factors at the beginning of Sessions 2 through 5. When surveyed, clients and therapists indicated that that they were satisfied with the CFF system and found it useful. Multilevel modeling revealed that TAU + CFF clients reported larger gains in perceived empathy and alliance over the course of treatment compared with TAU clients. No between-groups effects were found for outcome expectations or treatment outcome. These results imply that our CFF system was well received and has the potential to improve therapy process for clients with depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University.
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: McClintock
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Perlman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McCarrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ohio University.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Himawan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D003469:Culture; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004645:Empathy; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D057545:Social Stigma; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult