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Cited by 18Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychological Testing and Assessment

Development and validation of the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ)

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Ghomi, Mahdi, Wrightman, Miles, Ghaemian, Aisan, Grey, Nick, Pickup, Tabitha, Richardson, Thomas·2021·Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
DOI 10.1017/s1352465820000764
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Abstract

Background: Motivational factors are generally regarded as an important ingredient for change in therapy. However, there is currently a lack of available instruments that can measure clients’ readiness for change in therapy. Aim: The objective of this paper was to create an instrument, the Readiness for Therapy Questionnaire (RTQ), which could measure clients’ readiness for change. Method: The RTQ was created by researchers following analysis of themes drawn from a review of the literature and interviews with patients at the end of therapy. This included both people who completed therapy and those who dropped out. As part of the standard assessment process, the RTQ was administered to 349 participants (69.6% female and 30.4% male; mean age 37.1 years; 90.5% Caucasian) who were patients at a psychological therapy service for common mental health difficulties. Result: An initial 12-item scale was reduced to 6 items. This scale significantly correlated with post-therapy PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores and changes in these scores across therapy. After controlling for baseline scores and demographic variables, a logistic regression showed that scores on this 6-item measure pre-therapy significantly predicted three outcome variables: completing therapy, being recovered on both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-therapy, and having a reliable change in both the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 post-therapy. However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed the measure had poor sensitivity and specificity. Symptom severity did not have a significant impact on motivation to change. Conclusion: The RTQ is potentially a valid measure with useful clinical applications in treatment of common mental health difficulties.

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  • Assessing perceived readiness or willingness to engage in this kind of psychotherapy may be more important than assessing mood or impairment when considering eligibility.

    “Assessing perceived readiness or willingness to engage in this kind of psychotherapy may be more important than assessing mood or impairment when considering eligibility. 33”

    From Wellbeing After Stroke (WAterS): Feasibility Testing of a Co-developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention to Support Psychological Adjustment After Stroke. (2024) · cites this paper as [33]

    The paper’s Introduction and reported findings link readiness to therapy engagement and clinical outcomes, supporting the value of assessing it. But the paper does not establish that readiness is more important than mood or impairment for eligibility; its Participant Characteristics section says treatment eligibility was based on a provisional mood or anxiety disorder diagnosis. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Research works printed but not linked: 56

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  42. Murphy, E., Mansell, W., Craven, S., Menary, J., & McEvoy, P. (2013). Pilot Study of an Investigation of Psychological Factors Associated with First Appointment Nonattendance in a Low-Intensity Service. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 41(4), 458-469. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465812000811 · DOI
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  45. Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Joyce, A. S., & Piper, W. E. (2009). Development of the Readiness for Psychotherapy Index. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197(6), 427. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181a61c56 · DOI
  46. Prochaska, J. O., Velicer, W. F., Rossi, J. S., Goldstein, M. G., Marcus, B. H., Rakowski, W., Fiore, C., Harlow, L. L., Redding, C. A., & Rosenbloom, D. (1994). Stages of change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviors. Health Psychology: Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 13(1), 39-46.
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  49. Rogers, E. S., Martin, R., Anthony, W., Massaro, J., Danley, K., Crean, T., & Penk, W. (2001). Assessing Readiness for Change Among Persons with Severe Mental Illness. Community Mental Health Journal, 37(2), 97-112. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1002705614293 · DOI
  50. Rollnick, S., & Miller, W. R. (1995). What is Motivational Interviewing? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23(4), 325-334. https://doi.org/10.1017/S135246580001643X · DOI · Paper page
  51. Rosen, C. S. (2000). Is the sequencing of change processes by stage consistent across health problems? A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 19(6), 593-604. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.19.6.593 · DOI
  52. Safran, J. D., Vallis, T. M., Segal, Z. V., & Shaw, B. F. (1986). Assessment of core cognitive processes in cognitive therapy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 10(5), 509-526. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01177815 · DOI
  53. Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092 · DOI · Paper page
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  56. Westra, H. A., & Norouzian, N. (2018). Using Motivational Interviewing to Manage Process Markers of Ambivalence and Resistance in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 42(2), 193-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-017-9857-6 Data · DOI

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Authors
Ghomi, M., Wrightman, M., Ghaemian, A., Grey, N., Pickup, T., & Richardson, T.
Affiliations
  • Solent NHS Trust (GB)
  • University of Sussex (GB)
  • University of Southampton (GB)
Corresponding author
Ghomi, Mahdi
ORCID
Venue
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2020-11-17
Volume
49
Issue
4
Pages
413-425
ISSN
  • 1352-4658 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-1833
DOI
10.1017/s1352465820000764
OpenAlex
W3102823352
Cited by
18
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2
FWCI
0.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
Keywords
readiness to change, motivation for change, psychotherapy, questionnaire development, scale validation, treatment outcome prediction, treatment discontinuation, depression, anxiety, symptom severity

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