The EBTA multicenterstudy!   Manual.rtf Protocol.rtf GARF.rtf GAF.rtf

The manual (26 May version) and research design protocol (22 May version) for the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA) multicentre project are now complete. These versions are now placed on the sft website.

These are free for use for other purposes but appropriate acknowledgement should be made if they are quoted. We will be pleased if other schools of therapy wish to use the same design so that outcomes can be compared.

The project team (Alasdair Macdonald (ajmacdon@psychsft.freeserve.co.uk) / Mark Beyebach (mark.beyebach@upsa.es) / Steve de Shazer (briefftc@aol.com) / Wally Gingerich (wjg4@po.cwru.edu) have sent copies to all those supervisors whom we know wish to take part. If you have not received the material within a few days and wish to take part please let me know. Supervisors of participating therapists and therapists who wish to offer single cases must have at least 3 years experience of sft practice and be willing to comply with the research conditions.

A summary of the project is given below.

Alasdair Macdonald.

Either: supervisors select therapists (or themselves) and oversee completion of protocol for 2 - 3 outpatient / ambulatory cases each and send the completed papers to a central agent for data processing and publication

Or: some team somewhere decides to use the protocol for all their cases. To be acceptable for the study therapy must include the majority of: Goals; exceptions; pre-session changes; clients' resources; miracle question and subsequent follow-up questions; scaling; compliments; tasks. Return visits must begin with 'What is better?' or similar. (Manual provided.)

Diagnosis: DSM-IV.

Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale / Global Assessment of

Relational Functioning Scale (GARF)

OQ-45: 45 item questionnaire. Single score and 3 subscales: symptoms, relationships, social functions. (Licence from copyright holder required - www.oqfamily.com)

Goal achievement questionnaire (provided): Was your goal for therapy achieved - yes / in part / no? Where are you now on a scale of 0-10 for your goal? Where would the most important person to you say you are on the scale now? Where would your therapist say you are on the scale now? Did you achieve any other goals at the same time? Have any problems appeared since you were seen? Did you solve them on your own? Did you seek professional help?

At referral: send OQ-45 with first-contact paperwork used by team or clinic.

Session 1: Basic demographic data (name; age; sex; highest educational level; whether individual / couple / family in treatment). OQ-45 before session. Problem in a few (English) words and DSM-IV diagnosis. What goal(s) set. Client scaling score. GAF / GARF by therapist.

Session 2 and each subsequent: client scaling scores. OQ-45; GAF / GARF by therapist.

Last session: client scaling scores. OQ-45; GAF / GARF by therapist. Number of sessions attended.

One year after last session: therapist sends goal achievement questionnaire and OQ-45.