The Norwegian version of the scale to assess the therapeutic relationship (N-STAR) in community mental health care: Development and pilot study

Abstract

Background/Aims: Psychotherapy research has continually placed emphasis on the role of the therapeutic relationship. The current provision of mental health care, however, is often carried out in a variety of contexts and involves a range of health professionals. Measures for assessing the therapeutic relationship provided in community settings by multidisciplinary mental health teams is therefore required. The aim of this study was to describe the development of the Norwegian version of the Scale To Assess the therapeutic Relationship (N‑STAR) and to examine its reliability. Methods: A pilot study was conducted with clients with mental health issues (n=29) and mental health practitioners (n=29). Participants were recruited from a Norwegian community mental health setting and asked to complete the N‑STAR. Data were analysed using T‑tests, Cronbach’s alpha, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The internal consistency of the N‑STAR total scale was good, whereas the subscales showed acceptable to questionable internal consistencies. There was a significant association between the total scores of clients and therapists (r = 0.42, p = 0.02), and the consistency in agreement between the clients’ and the therapists’ scores was good (ICC= 0.57, p = 0.02). Conclusion: The N‑STAR total scale showed promising results in terms of its internal consistency and level of client‑therapist agreement. Further research is needed to evaluate N-STAR measurement properties in larger samples in order to establish this method as a way of assessing and monitoring the therapeutic relationship in community mental health settings in Norway