TY - JOUR
T1 - Brief acceptance-based intervention for increasing intake attendance at a community mental health center
AU - Williston, Michael A.
AU - Block-Lerner, Jennifer
AU - Wolanin, Andrew
AU - Gardner, Frank
PY - 2014/8
Y1 - 2014/8
N2 - Intake no-show rates for psychotherapy vary from 20% to 57% (Swenson & Pekarik, 1988), and experiential avoidance may be related to failure to attend intake sessions. This pilot study attempted to increase intake attendance at a community mental health center by employing a brief experiential acceptance-based intervention. Those who scheduled intakes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: orientation letter or acceptance-enhanced orientation letter; rates from these conditions were compared with a retrospective comparison control group. Participants were randomized by way of an online random number generator. Persons assigned to the orientation group did not have a higher show rate than persons within the control group (̃48% compared with ̃52%). Persons assigned to the acceptance group did have higher show rates than persons in the other two groups (̃67% compared with ̃48% and ̃52%, respectively), however this difference was nonsignificant. Results suggest that brief acceptance-based interventions should be further studied for their potential value in maximizing client attendance.
AB - Intake no-show rates for psychotherapy vary from 20% to 57% (Swenson & Pekarik, 1988), and experiential avoidance may be related to failure to attend intake sessions. This pilot study attempted to increase intake attendance at a community mental health center by employing a brief experiential acceptance-based intervention. Those who scheduled intakes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: orientation letter or acceptance-enhanced orientation letter; rates from these conditions were compared with a retrospective comparison control group. Participants were randomized by way of an online random number generator. Persons assigned to the orientation group did not have a higher show rate than persons within the control group (̃48% compared with ̃52%). Persons assigned to the acceptance group did have higher show rates than persons in the other two groups (̃67% compared with ̃48% and ̃52%, respectively), however this difference was nonsignificant. Results suggest that brief acceptance-based interventions should be further studied for their potential value in maximizing client attendance.
KW - Acceptance
KW - Community mental health
KW - Experiential avoidance
KW - Letter intervention
KW - Psychotherapy attendance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905194271&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/a0035686
DO - 10.1037/a0035686
M3 - Article
C2 - 24635039
AN - SCOPUS:84905194271
SN - 1541-1559
VL - 11
SP - 324
EP - 332
JO - Psychological Services
JF - Psychological Services
IS - 3
ER -