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Objectives. The Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) is an ultra-brief self-report scale designed to measure change during psychotherapy. The goal of this study was to test (a) the factor structure of the ORS, (b) the measurement invariance between a clinical and a non-clinical sample, between pre-therapy and post-therapy assessment (within the clinical sample), and between online and paper-and-pencil forms of administration (within the non-clinical sample), (c) concurrent validity with other outcome measures, and (d) sensitivity to therapeutic change. Sample and settings. N = 256 patients, N = 210 non-clinical respondents, and N = 89 students participated in the study. Patients responded to the ORS before and after psychotherapy. Statistical analysis. The factor structure and measurement invariance were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Concurrent validity and test-retest reliability were assessed using correlational analysis. Sensitivity to change was assessed using the Reliable Change Index and pre-post effect size. Results. The unidimensional structure was supported. The best-fitting model was a partially tau-equivalent model with the first and the fourth items' loadings fixed to the same value. While only metric invariance was demonstrated between the clinical and non-clinical samples, the ORS demonstrated scalar invariance between pre- and post-therapy assessment and strict invariance between the paper-and-pencil and online forms of administration. Internal consistency, as well as concurrent validity, were satisfactory. The sensitivity to the therapeutic change was adequate. Furthermore, internal consistency and sensitivity to change were increased if the score was computed as a weighted sum of items. Study limitation. The samples were not representative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The paper introduced the concept of narrative sensitivity. The study aimed to identify the facets of narrative sensitivity (NS) in medical students and assess the changes in NS during undergraduate medical education. Methods. A mixed method study was designed to explore NS. Data was collected from a group of students in their second year (N=50) and then in their fifth year (N=42) of their undergraduate education. The data was analysed using thematic analysis in accordance with consensual qualitative research. A coding system was developed to identify and refine the facets of NS. The theme frequencies were counted for each year separately and Fisher’s exact test was conducted to assess the statistical significance of NS change between both years. Results. Nine themes related to NS were identified in the data. The frequency of themes indicated a trend towards a decline in NS between the second and fifth years of undergraduate education. However, the exploratory nature of this study and the small sample size did not allow any definitive conclusions regarding changes over time. Conclusions. The findings raised doubts about the outcome of undergraduate education based on a narrow biomedical perspective. The study supported the arguments for giving emphasis on training of communication skills including narrative sensitivity during medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]