Psychotherapy Assessment: Psychometric Properties of de Argentinean Version of the Outcome Rating Scale and Session Rating Scale

Abstract

Introduction: Instruments that assess therapeutic alliance and the psychotherapy results are essential since professionals tend to present judgment biases in their evaluations. However, in many Spanish-speaking countries, they are rare. In this study, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and Session Rating Scale (SRS) in the Argentine context. Both scales are analog and brief. The ORS assesses the patient's progress, and the SRS the therapeutic alliance. Method: In a clinical sample of N=167 patients, we applied the scales in four moments d psychotherapy. We analyzed the ORS scores according to gender and age, and we evaluated the Reliable Change Index(RCI). We estimated the reliability and concurrent validity in both scales and predictive validity in SRS. Results: No sex or age differences were found in the ORS scale, with an RCI=5.61. The internal consistency was higher than α=.80 in the scales, and the test-retest correlation was moderate-high. We found evidence of concurrent validity. Discussion: The characteristics that the ORS and the SRS present for the Argentine context seem to be similar to the original scales, including the RCI and could be applied at a practical level.