OQ-45.2
The OQ -45.2 is a brief 45-item self report outcome/tracking instrument designed for repeated measurement of client progress through the course of therapy and following termination. The OQ -45.2 has been extensively researched and meets the multiple needs of practitioners, administrators, and researchers. Outstanding features of the measure include:
• Standardized data. The OQ is a standardized instrument with empirical support. It is based on normative data, and validity and reliability exceed industry standards.
• A monitoring tool that user-friendly. The OQ is designed to be an indicator of change and may be administered and scored in a matter of minutes.
• Content that assesses functional level and change over time. The OQ measures functioning in 4 domains: Symptom distress (heavily loaded for depression and anxiety), Interpersonal functioning, Social Role, and Well-being enabling the practitioner to assess functional level and change over time.
• Applicable to all patient populations: The OQ cuts across treatment models, diagnoses, and disciplines, and is thus applicable in a wide variety of settings, and can facilitate comparison among these and other variables.
• Risk assessment. The OQ contains risk assessment items for suicide potential, substance abuse, and potential violence at work.
Psychometrics
The OQ-45.2’s psychometric integrity is well documented. It’s validity is supported by high correlations with other measures of psychological distress, such as the Beck Depression Inventory, Zung Self-Rating Depression and Anxiety Scales, Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, Symptom Checklist 90-R. It has high correlation with measures of interpersonal functioning, such as the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems and the Rand SF36. And, it correlates highly with measures of social role, such as the Social Adjustment Scale. Its test/retest reliability is in the range of .78 to .84 indicating that persons with stable psychological and functional status tend not to change from one administration to another. The OQ-45.2 is also sensitive to changes that occur over short periods of time as a result of psychological intervention. Sensitivity to change is reflected by the decrease in scores of patients who show improvement in treatment. Both the stability of scores of persons who are not experiencing change and the sensitivity to change of those who improve in treatment are essential to an instrument being appropriate for therapeutic monitoring.
Guidelines for Clinical Interpretation
The OQ-45.2 provides useful clinical information that can be used for treatment planning, progress monitoring and care management. Each time a patient completes an OQ-45.2, the system generates a Provider Feedback report with the following types of clinical information:
Critical Items
Total Score and Subscale Scores
Extreme Responses
Progress Tracking Alerts
Critical Items
Critical items should be reviewed for possible problems associated with risky behaviors. Positive responses to these items indicate areas the clinician should carefully explore with the patient to determine the extent of risk.
Item(s) Screen Interpretation
8. I have thoughts of ending my life. Suicide potential Any response other than zero should be pursued for suicide potential
11. After heavy drinking, I need a drink the next morning to get going.
26. I feel annoyed by people who criticize my drinking (or drug use).
32. I have trouble at work/school because of drinking or drug use. Alcohol and drug abuse Any response other than zero should be pursued for substance abuse.
44. I feel angry enough at work/school to do something I might regret. Violence at work potential Any response other than zero should be pursued for possible serious work place conflicts.
Total Score and Subscale Scores
The OQ-45.2 has a Total Score and three subscales scores. The Total Score reflects overall level of disturbance and the subscales identify specific areas of difficulty for the patient. The subscales reflect subjective distress, quality of interpersonal relationships, and adequacy of social and occupational functioning.
Patients with high Total Scores will have high scores on one or more subscales. However, patients with relatively low Total Scores may also have a high subscale score reflecting difficulty in a circumscribed area. The Total Score and each subscale have cutoff points that identify patients in the clinical range. For each scale, a score at or above the cutoff indicates the patient is showing a level of disturbance similar to other patients. If the score is below the cutoff, the patient is functioning like members of the general community or non-clinical sample. The table below presents the cutoff points, and interpretations for each scale.
