University mental health center

Evaluations of therapeutic processes and outcomes by clients, therapists, and independent third parties are all important dimensions in an overall system of accountability for a college mental health facility. This study focused on client evaluation. All clients (N = 287) who used mental health services in a large midwestern university during a two-week period completed an evaluative questionnaire. In contrast to previous satisfaction studies that focused on overall satisfaction, this study examined specific therapist and client tasks and their relationship to outcomes. The findings indicate that different types of client evaluation items yield somewhat different results. Those specific evaluation items have varying relationships with overall measures of client satisfaction and problem improvement. The study also pointed to the importance of looking at sex differences in client evaluations of therapy and at differences among therapists in their relative success in working with clients with differing problems.