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NCT Number: NCT02479594

Competence-feedback and Therapy Outcome

In a randomized controlled study design, n = 58 treatments of patients with depression were to be conducted under a feedback-condition, in which the therapist would receive feedback five times within 20 treatment sessions. The competence-feedback includes detailed feedback about 14 different aspects of therapist behavior. The control group includes n = 58 further treatments within which therapists do not receive any competence-feedback (treatment as usual; TAU).

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Key information

Conditions

Depression Behavior Behavioral Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Johannes Gutenberg University

Mainz, 55122, Germany

About this study

Psychotherapeutic competencies are considered to be an important factor for therapy success. However, empirical studies which have investigated the competence-outcome relationship were only based on correlational analyses. Therefore, these studies are inappropriate for the investigation of causal relationships. In previous studies, feedback on therapists' competencies was found to be suitable for enhancing such competencies. Therefore, in the current research project, competence-feedback should be used to enhance therapeutic competencies systematically, in order to investigate the causal impact of these competencies on therapy outcome. Using a randomized controlled study design, n = 58 treatments of patients with depression were to be conducted under a feedback-condition, in which the therapist would receive feedback five times within 20 treatment sessions. The competence-feedback includes detailed feedback about 14 different aspects of therapist behavior. The control group includes n = 58 further treatments within which therapists do not receive any competence-feedback (treatment as usual; TAU). In order to ensure comparability of both treatment conditions (regarding an observation situation), the therapists in the TAU condition should also receive feedback, but only after the treatments are finished. We hypothesize that the feedback-group is superior to the TAU-group and that their treatments lead to significantly better therapy outcome. Moreover, we use mediator analysis to analyze whether the group-outcome relationship is mediated by therapeutic competencies or by the quality of the therapeutic alliance. The results are highly relevant for clinical process research, psychotherapy training and for the dissemination of treatment approaches in routine care.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

THERAPISTS

Inclusion criteria

  • Having successfully completed the interim Audit
  • Having started to treat ambulant patients

Exclusion criteria

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PATIENTS

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinical diagnosis of Major Depression (Meeting DSM-IV criteria)
  • Informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Suicidal tendency
  • Clinical diagnosis of alcohol or drug addiction, acute schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder
  • Clinical diagnosis of personality disorder cluster A (odd disorders) and B (dramatic, emotional or erratic)

Treatment and study plan

competence-feedback

Behavioral

competence-feedback

Control

Other

control group without competence-feedback

Primary outcomes

  1. Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    self-report measure to assess depressive symptoms

Secondary outcomes

  1. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    external assessment to assess depressive symptoms

  2. Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    self-report instrument to identify a person's salient interpersonal difficulties based on the interpersonal circumplex model

  3. Health-related quality of life (SF-12)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    self-report measure to assess health-related quality of life

  4. Client Satisfaction Questionaire (CSQ8)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    self-report measure to assess satisfaction with therapy

  5. Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    external-assessment measure that assesses psychotherapeutic competency during a cognitive therapy session. CTS will be used by two trained raters licensed as psychological psychotherapists

  6. Helping Alliance Questionaire (HAQ)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    self-report measure to assess therapeutic alliance from the therapists perspective (therapist version; HAQ-T), the patients perspective (HAQ-P) and the raters perspective (HAQ-R)

  7. Assessment of Patient Interpersonal Behavior (AFPIB)

    Time frame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks

    assessment of patient in-session interpersonal behavior

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Potsdam

Registry information

Official study title

The Importance of Competence-feedback for Therapy Outcome: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jun 24, 2015
Registry last updated
Jan 27, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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