Clinical Significance. A Therapeutic Approach to Psychological Assessment in Treatment Planning

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2014 in the subject Psychology - Clinic and Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, grade: A, Atlantic International University (School of Social and Human Studies), course: Personality Assessment, language: English, abstract: Psychological assessment has long been reported as a key component of clinical psychology. This paper examined and shed light on the complexities surrounding the clinical significance of therapeutic approach to treatment Planning. To achieve this objective, the paper searched and used the PsycINFO and PubMed databases and the reference sections of chapters and journal articles to analysed the underlying themes:

1) a strong basis for the usage of therapeutic approach to psychological assessment in treatment plans,

2) explained the conceptual meaning of clinical significant change in therapeutic assessment,

3) answered some of the questions regarding practicability and the clinical significance of therapeutic approach to treatment plans, particularly during or before treatment,

4) linked therapeutic assessment to change in clients' clinical impression, functioning and therapeutic needs,

5) used initial theory to explain the therapeutic mechanisms of change in clinical practice,

6) analysed the empirically documenting clinically significant change in therapeutic assessment.

Finally, the study suggested that though therapeutic assessment is not sufficient for the systematic study of psychotherapy outcome and process, it is still consistent with both the layman and professional expectations regarding treatment outcome and also provides a precise method for classifying clients as "changed" or "unchanged" on the basis of clinical significance criteria.