Clinical trial NCT02479594: Competence-feedback and Therapy Outcome
Official title: The Importance of Competence-feedback for Therapy Outcome: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: competence-feedback
Lead sponsor: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Potsdam
First posted: 2015-06-24
Enrollment: 114
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: 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).

Detailed description: 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.

Eligibility criteria: 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)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Health-related quality of life (SF-12)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Client Satisfaction Questionaire (CSQ8)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Helping Alliance Questionaire (HAQ)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
measure: Assessment of Patient Interpersonal Behavior (AFPIB)
timeFrame: participants will be followed for the duration of psychotherapy, an expected average of 20 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Mainz
country: Germany
facility: Johannes Gutenberg University
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Potsdam
name: Florian Weck, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Weck F, Junga YM, Kliegl R, Hahn D, Brucker K, Witthoft M. Effects of competence feedback on therapist competence and patient outcome: A randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2021 Nov;89(11):885-897. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000686.