Abstract

This repeated-measures study evaluated the relative sensitivity to change of the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (CBCL/6-18), the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2), and the Youth Outcome Questionnaire-2.01 (Y-OQ-2.01). Participants were recruited from Valley Mental Health, a community outpatient clinic in Salt Lake City, UT. There were 178 participants for 136 cases, with 134 adults and 44 adolescents. Participants provided two through five data points for a total of 548 data points. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was conducted for three major comparisons: adult informants, adult and adolescent dyads, and adolescents. Results indicated the Y-OQ-2.01 was the most change sensitive, while the BASC-2 and CBCL/6-18 were not statistically different from each other. Results also showed that the parent-report measures were more change-sensitive than the self-report measures completed by adolescent informants. Sensitivity to change was also evaluated through the reliable change index (RCI) and the use of cut-off scores. In comparisons using the RCI, the Y-OQ-2.01 identified the most cases for reliable change. The Y-OQ-2.01 also had the greatest corroboration of its findings with the other two measures. In comparisons using cut-off scores, results are offered for three variations, as different standards were used to establish cut-off scores for the three measures. The third variation, for which cut-off scores for all three measures were adjusted to one standard deviation above the mean, is suggested to be the most appropriate when comparing measures. Those results indicated there was no statistical difference in how the measures performed relative to each other. Thus, based on the HLM and RCI results of this study, it is recommended that clinicians select the Y-OQ-2.01 for outcome use and tracking changes in child and adolescent symptoms and behaviors.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2009-04-29

Document Type

Dissertation

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd2914

Keywords

psychotherapy, treatment outcome, child, adolescent, sensitivity to change

Language

English

Included in

Psychology Commons

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