Ethnic differences on the Outcome Questionnaire

The Outcome Questionnaire is a 45-item inventory of client-report symptoms and distress, used to track therapeutic change on a session-by-session basis. Data collected with the cooperation of a managed care provider were analyzed to note ethnic differences on the questionnaire. 1552 first session questionnaires were selected and mean total and subscale scores were analyzed using analysis-of-variance procedures for differences by ethnicity. No significant differences were found; however, significant ethnic differences on some items were noted, and these are reported with ethnic trends in clients' problems, diagnoses, and therapists' ratings on Global Assessment of Functioning. These findings were contrasted with those of other studies reporting ethnic differences on various measures such as IQ and personality assessment.