Assessment in Group Therapy

This chapter provides an introduction and overview to assessment in group therapy. The authors provide a rationale for using assessment tools in group therapy by reviewing research that has linked the use of measurement to better client outcomes, which is followed by an exploration of barriers to implementation and the purposes of assessment use. The authors define and describe measurement-based care and its components, including the necessity of routine assessment, therapist review, client review, and collaborative review. The chapter also includes a discussion on how to select measures and analyze their results. The authors review concepts that are foundational to measurement-based care—including the reliable change index, cut scores, and clinical significance—and explore aspects of evaluating a practice or program using measurement. The authors then describe the logistics of assessing outcome and drawbacks of self-report assessments. Additionally, the chapter discusses measurement within a multicultural framework. The chapter ends with a review of the structure of the book and commentary on how measurement-based care links to national and international trends toward accountability.