6533b872fe1ef96bd12d2c70
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Evaluation of Treatment Integrity: The Treatment Specificity Index
Visar RudariChristine SchimmingMartin HautzingerFlorian WeckFlorian GrikscheitUlrich StangierMaria WeigelThomas Heidenreichsubject
Oncologymedicine.medical_specialtyIndex (economics)business.industryPsychological interventionRelapse preventionlaw.inventionClinical PsychologyArts and Humanities (miscellaneous)Randomized controlled triallawInternal medicinemedicinePhysical therapyInternal validitybusinessdescription
Objective To differentiate between treatments in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), therapies need to display not only high purity but also high specificity. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the benefits of calculating a treatment specificity index for the evaluation of treatment differentiation. Method Based on an RCT of relapse prevention in depression, comparing a cognitive with a psychoeducational treatment, the specificity and the purity index were calculated. Results As indicated by the specificity index, both conditions differed in their levels of implemented specific and common interventions. A significant relationship was found between symptom change before a therapy session and treatment specificity. Conclusions The specificity index is an appropriate method for enhancing the internal validity of RCTs in evaluating treatment integrity.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-03-30 | Journal of Clinical Psychology |