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Effectiveness of Routine Outcome Monitoring in Psychotherapy in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Not Applicable
Conditions
Psychological Distress
Registration Number
RBR-3vmy6sq
Lead Sponsor
APHETO - Laboratório de Psicopatologia e Clínica Humanista Fenomenológica
Brief Summary

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate, through a randomized clinical trial, the use of outcome monitoring and feedback system routines in psychotherapy processes conducted in a university psychology clinic (UPC) with people who presented emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Participants (N=90) were divided into two groups: Experimental and Control. For patients in the Experimental Group, routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and feedback system (FS) were used, in which psychotherapists incorporated into their clinical practice a dialogue with patients about their answers to questionnaires. Results: After 6 months of intervention, we identified that there were significant changes between the first and the last application of the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ®-45.2) in the psychotherapeutic process (F(3, 85) = 4,267, p < 0.01). However, there are no differences between the Experimental Group and the Control Group (F(3, 85) = 0.417, p = 0.741). Conclusion: Although no significant differences were found, it is possible to conclude that psychotherapy was effective for both groups. The use of ROM and FS in a Brazilian UPC proved to be a challenge, but at the same time, it is a way to develop a culture of research that can help beginning psychotherapists to improve results.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
Data analysis completed
Sex
Not specified
Target Recruitment
Not specified
Inclusion Criteria

Persons over 18 years of age; Be registered with the Unified Health System (SUS); Be regulated in the SPA-NAMI system (study site); Present emotional distress in the COVID-19 pandemic period, through self-report in screening; Have availability for weekly psychotherapeutic care, with an average duration of 50 minutes, for six months remote or in person; Possess cognitive ability that allows the understanding and completion of the OQ®-45.2 and OQ®-ASC research instruments

Exclusion Criteria

Participants who were experiencing a severe emotional crisis related to a moderate or severe psychiatric disorder, which made systematic psychotherapeutic follow-up impossible; Patients who were already undergoing psychotherapeutic follow-up with another professional

Study & Design

Study Type
Intervention
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Outcome Expected: The primary outcome of this study was considered the improvement of the psychotherapy service provided at the University Psychology Clinic (UPC) where the research took place. ;Outcome Founded: No improvement was observed in the psychotherapy service provided by the UPC.
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Outcome Expected: A improvement in the symptomatology presented by the patients who were part of this study, as show by a decrease in the values found in the instrument.;Outcome Founded: A improvement in the symptomatology of the patients was indeed founded.
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