Therapist engagement in measurement‐based care: The association between client outcomes and therapist viewing frequency

Abstract

AbstractEngagement in measurement‐based care (MBC) has been shown to be an effective practice for optimizing psychotherapy outcomes. Best practices for MBC suggest that it is crucial for therapists to consistently review scores. However, the exact impact of this practice on MBC's effectiveness has yet to be fully elucidated. The current study examined the association between the frequency of therapists reviewing clients' depression scores and client psychotherapy outcomes. The sample consisted of 6182 clients diagnosed with depression who sought treatment from 2248 therapists through a practice research group. Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) was administered prior to sessions, and therapists could access the scores via their therapist portal. The results based on multilevel modelling revealed that how often therapists view their clients' PHQ‐9 results was not a significant predictor of therapy outcomes. However, therapists who, across their caseloads, viewed client PHQ‐9 scores more frequently facilitated better treatment outcomes. These results suggest that therapists who routinely engage in MBC facilitate better therapy outcomes. Implications for practice and research are provided.