The Effect of Patient Participation in Collaborative Goal Setting in Psychotherapy: A Clinical Psychology Approach in Therapy in Ghana

Abstract

The present study examined the application of mutual goal setting theory on patients’ compliance behaviors and outcome goals. 60 patients on admission to a private psychiatric clinic in Greater Accra in Ghana were recruited for the study. It comprised two groups; the experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in their mutual goal setting while the control group did not participate. Participants were diagnosed with any of the following conditions; schizophrenia, depression and substance abuse. The groups were compared with respect to goal attainment, patient satisfaction with care, therapist satisfaction and responses to the follow-up community readjustment program.

Results indicated that patients who participated in the mutual goal setting scored significantly higher on goal attainment and patient’s satisfaction with care than those who were not involved. In addition, therapists whose patients participated in the mutual goal setting were more satisfied with care given compared to those whose patients did not participate in goal setting. The patients with internal locus of control who participated in mutual goal setting scored significantly higher on goal attainment than those internals who did not participate in mutual goal setting. The implications of the findings are discussed in the paper.