CLINICAL AND STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE USI NG THE SYMPTOM CHECK LIST 90-R (SCL-90-R)

Jacobson's and Truax's approach to statistically and clinically signif icant change is applied to the SCL-90-R as outcome criterion for in-pa tient psychotherapy. Based on data of a sample of healthy subjects and a sample of in-patients, different cutoff points are calculated and t hese cutoff points are applied to the outcome scores of another sample of patients after in-patient psychotherapy. It is demonstrated how th e different cutoff scores result in a different number of patients wit h clinically significant change. Advantages and disadvantages of diffe rent cutoff points are discussed.