Goal measures for psychotherapy: a systematic review of self‐report, idiographic instruments

Lloyd, Christopher E. M., Duncan, Charlie and Cooper, Mick (2019) Goal measures for psychotherapy: a systematic review of self‐report, idiographic instruments. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 26 (3). pp. 1-16. ISSN 1468-2850

Abstract

Routine outcome monitoring can support client progress in psychotherapy and provide evidence on population‐level outcomes. However, measures have been almost exclusively nomothetic. Idiographic tools provide a complementary approach, combining individually set outcomes with standardized progress ratings. Evidence suggests that goal‐focused idiographic measures may particularly facilitate client progress, and this systematic review aimed to identify and critically evaluate such measures, as used in psychotherapy. In total, 104 texts were eligible for inclusion in the review, with nine measures identified. These took the form of multidimensional tools, brief rating forms, and goal attainment scaling. Psychometric and clinical evidence suggests that these measures may be appropriate tools for supporting client progress, but there is insufficient evidence to validate their use for population‐level evaluation.

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