Do consumers who have a choice of treatment have better outcomes?

This study used a non-equivalent control group design to investigate the ef fect of consumer choice of treatment on both process and outcome variables. All study participants suffered from severe mental illness, were homeless at baseline, and were enrolled in a modified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program. Consumers in the choice condition had selected the ACT progr am from a menu of five treatment programs; clients in the no-choice conditi on were simply assigned to the ACT program by an intake worker. Results fou nd that consumers in the choice condition visited the ACT staff at their of fices more than consumers in the no-choice condition, but there were no sig nificant differences between groups on the other treatment process variable s. Although consumers in the choice condition increased their income more t han consumers in the no-choice condition, there were no significant differe nces between groups on the other outcome variables (stable housing, psychot ic symptoms, depression, and substance abuse).