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Development and validation of the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ)

Development and validation of the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ)
Development and validation of the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ)

Background: motivational factors are generally regarded as an important ingredient for change in therapy. However, there is currently a lack of available instruments that can measure clients' readiness for change in therapy. 

Aim: the objective of this paper was to create an instrument, the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ), which could measure clients' readiness for change. Method: The RTQ was created by researchers following analysis of themes drawn from a review of the literature and interviews with patients at the end of therapy. This included both people who completed therapy and those who dropped out. As part of the standard assessment process, the RTQ was administered to 349 participants (69.6% female and 30.4% male; mean age 37.1 years; 90.5% Caucasian) who were patients at a psychological therapy service for common mental health difficulties. 

Result: an initial 12-item scale was reduced to 6 items. This scale significantly correlated with post-Therapy PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores and changes in these scores across therapy. After controlling for baseline scores and demographic variables, a logistic regression showed that scores on this 6-item measure pre-Therapy significantly predicted three outcome variables: completing therapy, being recovered on both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-Therapy, and having a reliable change in both the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-Therapy. However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed the measure had poor sensitivity and specificity. Symptom severity did not have a significant impact on motivation to change.

Conclusion: the RTQ is potentially a valid measure with useful clinical applications in treatment of common mental health difficulties.

assessment, attrition rate, clinical outcome, common mental health difficulties, motivation
1352-4658
Ghomi, Mahdi
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Wrightman, Miles
56bcfb42-4ed1-4bac-a725-63e0f436dd15
Ghaemian, Aisan
e6166da3-3ad3-416a-aa49-e56762a984e3
Grey, Nick
53071c14-c0b2-49d4-b1fe-27497090df64
Pickup, Tabitha
e540e235-5f8f-4d5e-90b6-1dcde0f1c2ff
Richardson, Thomas
f8d84122-b061-4322-a594-5ef2eb5cad0d
Ghomi, Mahdi
ea26f0d8-1988-4b86-b513-94efddc7952f
Wrightman, Miles
56bcfb42-4ed1-4bac-a725-63e0f436dd15
Ghaemian, Aisan
e6166da3-3ad3-416a-aa49-e56762a984e3
Grey, Nick
53071c14-c0b2-49d4-b1fe-27497090df64
Pickup, Tabitha
e540e235-5f8f-4d5e-90b6-1dcde0f1c2ff
Richardson, Thomas
f8d84122-b061-4322-a594-5ef2eb5cad0d

Ghomi, Mahdi, Wrightman, Miles, Ghaemian, Aisan, Grey, Nick, Pickup, Tabitha and Richardson, Thomas (2020) Development and validation of the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ). Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. (doi:10.1017/S1352465820000764).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: motivational factors are generally regarded as an important ingredient for change in therapy. However, there is currently a lack of available instruments that can measure clients' readiness for change in therapy. 

Aim: the objective of this paper was to create an instrument, the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ), which could measure clients' readiness for change. Method: The RTQ was created by researchers following analysis of themes drawn from a review of the literature and interviews with patients at the end of therapy. This included both people who completed therapy and those who dropped out. As part of the standard assessment process, the RTQ was administered to 349 participants (69.6% female and 30.4% male; mean age 37.1 years; 90.5% Caucasian) who were patients at a psychological therapy service for common mental health difficulties. 

Result: an initial 12-item scale was reduced to 6 items. This scale significantly correlated with post-Therapy PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores and changes in these scores across therapy. After controlling for baseline scores and demographic variables, a logistic regression showed that scores on this 6-item measure pre-Therapy significantly predicted three outcome variables: completing therapy, being recovered on both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-Therapy, and having a reliable change in both the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-Therapy. However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed the measure had poor sensitivity and specificity. Symptom severity did not have a significant impact on motivation to change.

Conclusion: the RTQ is potentially a valid measure with useful clinical applications in treatment of common mental health difficulties.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 1 January 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 November 2020
Keywords: assessment, attrition rate, clinical outcome, common mental health difficulties, motivation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 446076
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/446076
ISSN: 1352-4658
PURE UUID: f585988f-0734-44cb-9fb7-b7fe7b92b020
ORCID for Thomas Richardson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5357-4281

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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2021 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:02

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Contributors

Author: Mahdi Ghomi
Author: Miles Wrightman
Author: Aisan Ghaemian
Author: Nick Grey
Author: Tabitha Pickup

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