Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Measuring treatment outcomes and client satisfaction in a partial hospitalization program

  • Articles
  • Published:
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mental health practitioners are increasingly being called on to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment they provide. The partial hospitalization component of the mental health industry also has felt this call for outcome research. This article presents the results of one program's attempts to answer that call through an assessment of treatment outcome and client satisfaction at a partial hospitalization program. Participants (N=287) were evaluated at admission, discharge, and 3-month follow-up. The article outlines the procedures used for assessment and uses the results as an example of the type of data that can be obtained through outcomes measurement. The article is intended to provide an example of program evaluation that is easy and inexpensive to administer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lennox RD: Outcomes of mental health and drug abuse treatment.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1995; 22:212–213.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sexton TL: The relevance of counseling outcome research: Current trends and practical implications.Journal of Counseling and Development 1996; 24:590–600.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Plante TG, Couchman CE, Diaz AR: Measuring treatment outcome and client satisfaction among children and families.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1995; 22:261–269.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Burlingame GM, Lambert MJ, Reisinger CW, et al.: Pragmatics of tracking mental health outcomes in a managed care setting.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1995; 22:226–236.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Broskowski A, Eaddy M: Community mental health centers in a managed care environment.Administration and Policy in Mental Health 1994; 21:335–352.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Sherman CF: Changing practice models in managed health care.Psychotherapy in Private Practice 1992; 11:29–32.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Richardson LM, Austad CS: Realities of mental health practice in managed care settings. In: Lowman RL, Resnick RJ (Eds.):The Mental Health Professional's Guide to Managed Care. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1991, pp. 151–167.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Mirin SM, Namerow MJ: Why study treatment outcome?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1991; 42:1007–1013.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Granello PF, Witmer MJ: Standards of care: Implications for the counseling profession.Journal of Counseling and Development 1998; 76:371–380.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Woody SR, Kihlstrom LC: Outcomes, quality, and cost: Integrating psychotherapy and mental health services research.Psychotherapy Research 1997; 7:365–381.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kane RL, Bartlett J, Potthoff S: Building an empirically based outcomes information system for managed mental health care.Psychiatric Services 1995; 46:459–461.

    Google Scholar 

  12. McLeod J:Doing Counselling Research. London: Sage, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Clark A, Friedman MJ: Nine standardized scales for evaluating treatment outcome in a mental health clinic.Journal of Clinical Psychology 1983; 39:939–950.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Waxman HM: An inexpensive hospital-based program for outcome evaluation.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1994; 45:160–162.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Culhane DP, Hadley TR: A reexamination of the reported decline in partial hospitalization.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1993; 20:153–160.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hoge MA, Davidson L, Hill WL: The evolution of mental health services: Partial hospitalization as a case example.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1993; 20:161–167.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hoge MA, Farrell SP, Strauss JS, et al.: Functions of short-term partial hospitalization in a comprehensive system of care.International Journal of Partial Hospitalization 1987; 4:177–188.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Howes JL, Haworth H, Reynolds P, et al.: Outcome evaluation of a short-term mental health day treatment program.Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 1997; 42:502–508.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Guillette W, Crowley B, Savitz SA, et al.: Partial hospitalization as a cost-effective alternative to inpatient care: A pilot study.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1978; 29:525–527.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Rosie J: Partial hospitalization: A review of recent literature.Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1987; 38:1291–1299.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Schneider RJ, Herbert M: Substance abuse day treatment and managed health care.Journal of Mental Health Administration 1992; 19:119–124.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Turner RM, McGovern M, Donneson G, et al.: A naturalistic assessment of partial-hospital treatment.International Journal of Partial Hospitalization 1982; 1:311–326.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Dazord A, Gerin P, Seulin C, et al.: Day-treatment evaluation: Therapeutic outcome after a treatment in a psychiatric day-treatment center: Another look at the “outcome equivalence paradox.”Psychotherapy Research 1997; 7:57–69.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kiser LJ, Millsap PA, Hickerson S, et al.: Results of treatment one year later: Child and adolescent partial hospitalization.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1996; 35:81–90.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Guydish J, Werdegar D, Sorensen JL, et al.: A day treatment program in a therapeutic community setting: Six-month outcomes.Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 1995; 12:441–447.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Malla AK: Day treatment of alcoholism: An outcome study.Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 1987; 32:204–210.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Bachman SS, Batten HL, Minkoff K, et al.: Predicting success in a community treatment program for substance abusers.American Journal on Addictions 1992; 1:155–167.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schneider R, Googins B: Alcoholism day treatment: Rationale, research, and resistance.Journal of Drug Issues 1989; 19:437–449.

    Google Scholar 

  29. McGonigle JJ, Krouk M, Hindmarsh D, et al.: Understanding partial hospitalization through a continuity-of-care model.International Journal of Partial Hospitalization 1992; 8:135–140.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Wampold BE: Methodological problems in identifying efficacious psychotherapies.Psychotherapy Research 1997; 7:21–43.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Seligman MEP: The effectiveness of psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports Study.American Psychologist 1995; 50:965–974.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sandell R, Blomberg J, Lazar A: When reality doesn't fit the blueprint: Doing research on psychoanalysis and long-term psychotherapy in a public health service program.Psychotherapy Research 1997; 7:333–344.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Kazdin AE:Research Design in Clinical Psychology. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lambert MJ, Huefner JC, Nace DK: The promise and problems of psychotherapy research in a managed care setting.Psychotherapy Research 1997; 7:321–332.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

  36. Derogatis LR, Melisaratos N: The Brief Symptom Inventory: An introductory report.Psychological Medicine 1983; 13:596–605.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Derogatis LR, Spencer MS:The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI): Administration, Scoring, and Procedures Manual. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Clinical Psychometrics Research Unit, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Piersma HL, Boes JL, Reaume WM: The Brief Symptom Inventory as an outcome measure for adolescent psychiatric inpatients.Assessment 1994; 1:151–157.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Buckner JC, Mandell W: Risk factors for depressive symptomatology in a drug using population.American Journal of Public Health 1990; 80:580–585.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Carscadden DM: Predicting psychiatric symptoms in rural community mental health clients.Psychological Reports 1990; 66:561–562.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Carscadden DM, George M, Wells G: Rural community mental health consumer satisfaction and psychiatric symptoms.Community Mental Health Journal 1990; 26:309–318.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Gilewski MJ, Faberow NL, Gallagher DE, et al.: Interaction of depression and bereavement on mental health in the elderly.Psychology & Aging 1991; 6:67–75.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Piersma HL, Boes JL: Agreement between patient self-report and clinician rating: Concurrence between the BSI and the GAF among psychiatric inpatients.Journal of Clinical Psychology 1995; 51:153–157.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Piersma HL, Reaume WM, Boes JL: The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) as an outcome measure for adult psychiatric inpatients.Journal of Clinical Psychology 1994; 50:555–563.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Verinis JS, Wetzel L, Vanderporten A, et al.: Improvement in men outpatients in an alcoholism rehabilitation unit: A week-by-week comparison.Journal of Studies on Alcohol 1986; 47:85–88.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Boulet J, Boss MW: Reliability and validity of the Brief Symptom Inventory.Psychological Assessment 1991; 3:433–437.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Piersma HL, Boes JL, Reaume WM: Unidimensionality of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in adult and adolescent inpatients.Journal of Personality Assessment 1994; 63:338–344.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Nguyen TD, Attkisson CC, Stegner BL: Assessment of patient satisfaction: Development and refinement of a service evaluation questionnaire.Evaluation and Program Planning 1983; 6:299–314.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Larsen DL, Attkisson CC, Hargreaves WA, et al.: Assessment of client/patient satisfaction: Development of a general scale.Evaluation and Program Planning 1979; 2:197–207.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Attkisson CC, Zwick R: The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire: Psychometric properties and correlations with service utilization and psychotherapy outcome.Evaluation and Program Planning 1982; 5:233–237.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Larsen DL: Enhancing Client Utilization of Community Mental Health Outpatient Services. Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas, 1978,Dissertation Abstracts International 1979; 39(4):4041B. (University Microfilms No. 7904220)

  52. Pascoe GC, Attkisson CC, Roberts RE: Comparison of indirect and direct approaches to measuring patient satisfaction.Evaluation and Program Planning 1983; 6:359–371.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Cohen J:Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. San Diego: Academic Press, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  54. McCarthy PR, Gelber S, Dugger DE: Outcome measurement to outcome management: The critical step.Administration and Policy in Mental Health 1993; 21:59–68.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Lambert MJ: Some implications of psychotherapy research for eclectic practice.International Journal of Eclectic Psychotherapy 1986; 5:16–46.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Salzer MS: Interpreting outcome studies.Journal of American Child and Adolescence Psychiatry 1996; 35:1419.

    Google Scholar 

  57. LaPorte DJ, McLellan AT, Erdlen FR, et al.: Treatment outcome as a function of follow-up difficulty in substance abusers.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1981; 49:112–119.

    Google Scholar 

  58. McCrady B, Longabaugh R, Fink E, et al.: Cost effectiveness of alcoholism treatment in partial hospital versus inpatient settings after brief inpatient treatment: 12 month outcomes.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1986; 54:708–713.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Sobell LC, Sobell MB, Maisto SA: Follow-up attrition in alcohol treatment studies: Is “no news” bad news, good news, or no news?Drugs and Alcohol Dependence 1984; 13:1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Ciarlo JA, Brown TR, Edwards DW, et al.:Assessing Mental Health Treatment Outcome Measurement Techniques. DHHS Publication No. (ADM)86-1301. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Lambert MJ, Ogles BM, Masters KS: Choosing outcome assessment devices: An organizational and conceptual scheme.Journal of Counseling and Development 1992; 70:527–532.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Newman FL, Hunter RH, Irving D: Simple measures of progress and outcome in the evaluation of mental health services.Evaluation and Program Planning 1987; 10:209–218.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Piersma HL, Boes JL: The GAF and psychiatric outcome: A descriptive report.Community Mental Health Journal 1997; 33:35–41.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Activity and Educational Services, The Ohio State University, 283 Arps Hall, 1945 North High Street, 43210, Columbus, OH

    Darcy Haag Granello Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Counselor Education)

  2. School of Physical Activity and Educational Services, The Ohio State University, USA

    Paul F. Granello Ph.D., L.P.C.C. (assistant professor of counselor education)

  3. Worthington Center in Parkersburg, West Virginia

    Fred Lee Ph.D. (the executive director)

Authors
  1. Darcy Haag Granello Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul F. Granello Ph.D., L.P.C.C.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fred Lee Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Darcy Haag Granello Ph.D..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Granello, D.H., Granello, P.F. & Lee, F. Measuring treatment outcomes and client satisfaction in a partial hospitalization program. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 26, 50–63 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287794

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287794

Keywords

Search

Navigation