TABLE 3.
References; country | Sample characteristics | Aim of study | Study description | Goal planning method | Outcome measures | Findings |
Clarke et al. (65); Australia | Participants (n = 71) with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder and receiving case management support from a mental health provider | To examine whether (i) symptoms and functioning impact on goal progress; and (ii) goal attainment improves mental health | Non-randomized pre-post (quantitative) | Collaborative goal technology (CGT) | CGI, HoNOS, LSP, RAS, Kessler 10 | Average goal attainment of 48.18 (SD = 29.52). Higher levels of self-perceived symptom distress impeded goal attainment (r = −0.14, p < 0.01); greater goal attainment led to improved self-confidence and hope (β = −0.41, p = 0.00), and predicted recovery outcome (β = 0.26, p = 0.04). |
Dickson et al. (60); UK | Participants (n = 23) with depression recruited from mental health services, and control participants (n = 26) recruited from the community | Whether depressed persons differ from never depressed persons on the number of freely generated approach and avoidance goals, appraisal of these goals, and reasons why these goals would and would not be achieved | Prospective non-randomized (quantitative) | Self-generation of approach and avoidance goals and reasons why goals would or would not be achieved | Goal Task, Goal Explanation Task, Goal Ratings, BDI | No significant differences in number of goals or perceived importance of goals. Depressed participants judged their approach goals as less likely to occur (F = 4.16, p = 0.04) and gave lower ratings of their control over goals outcomes (F = 16.29, p < 0.001). |
Dickson and Moberly (59); UK | Participants (n = 21) with depression recruited from mental health services and control participants (n = 24) recruited from the community | Goal Task, Goal Explanation Task | Those with depression had similar number and importance of goals but depressed participants reported fewer specific goals (F = 10.74, p = 0.002), less specific explanations for approach goal attainment and non-attainment. | |||
Dickson et al. (61); UK | Participants (n = 42) with depression recruited from clinics and control participants (n = 51) recruited from same region | Self-generation of approach and avoidance goals and reasons why goals would or would not be achieved and expected outcome | Goal task, Goal Importance, Goal Expectancy, GAS, Written Fluency Task, PHQ-9 | Compared to controls, depressed participants reported fewer approach goals (F = 16.43, p = 0.001) (but not more avoidance goals), rated their approach goal (rewarding) outcomes as less likely to happen (F = 10.09, p = 0.002)and avoidance goal (threatening) outcomes as more likely to happen (F = 29.69, p = 0.001). | ||
Gard et al. (63); USA | Participants (n = 47) with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder attending outpatient clinics and control participants (n = 41) recruited from the community | To explore if people with schizophrenia demonstrate less anticipatory pleasure goals and pursue goals that are less effortful | Mixed method using Ecological Momentary Assessment | Semi-structured interview asking participant’s goals planned for the next few hours | Semi-structured interviews, EASy (modified), MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, QLS (abbreviated) | In comparison to controls, participants reported setting less effortful goals (t = −3.38, p = 0.001) but set goals that were more pleasure based (t = −7.65, p = 0.001). |
McGuire et al. (70); USA | Veterans with SPMI (n = 21) accessing a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center | To explore the impact of self-experience on conceptualizations of treatment goal setting | Qualitative | Semi structured interviews focused on goals for treatment | Goals analyzed according to dialogical self-experience type | Themes indicate people with differing self-experiences vary in how they form goals and the barriers they face in this process. Recognizing differences among the four self-types can individualize the approach to collaborative goal setting. |
Pueschel et al. (64); Germany | People diagnosed with mental illness (n = 61) attending an outpatient psychotherapy center | Understand the association between goal progress and depressivity for motive-congruent goals | Quantitative descriptive study | Personal striving framework – all explicit goals were written down | Goal rating, self-rated goal progress, BDI, NEO-FFI | Persons who made more progress at goals that matched their implicit motives experienced fewer depressive symptoms. |
Rose and Smith (66); Australia | People receiving mental health support from a community organization (n = 704) | Examine the relationship between goal setting, achievement, working alliance, and recovery | Quantitative non-randomized | Goal setting card | Goal data, WAI, RAS (Domains and Stages) | Both goal achievement and the strength of the working alliance had a positive effect on personal recovery. Goal achievement was related to a strong working alliance. |
Sanches et al. (67); Netherlands | People diagnosed with SPMI and receiving rehabilitation services both inpatient and outpatient (n = 156) | Investigate whether working alliance predicts goal attainment and if goal attainment is related to QoL | Secondary analysis of RCT data | Boston University approach to Psychiatric Rehabilitation | WAI (practitioner perspective), Goal attainment, WHOQOL-BREF, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale | Working alliance (goal component rather than personal bond) predicted goal attainment (B = 0.12, SE = 0.06, p = 0.04) and goal attainment led to improved QoL scores at 24 months (B = 7.63, SE = 3.15, p = 0.02). |
Wollburg and Braukhaus (62); Germany | Inpatients (n = 657) diagnosed with depression receiving CBT | Investigate the influence of goal definition on treatment outcome | Quantitative non-randomized | Self-identified goals | BDI (German), Goal attainment | Framing goals using avoidance terms did not affect goal attainment but was associated with less symptomatic improvement. |
BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; CGI, Collaborative Goal Index; EASy, Environmental Assessment Scale; GAS, Goal Adjustment Scale; HoNOS, Health of the Nation Outcome Scale; K10, Kessler 10; LSP-16, abbreviated Life Skills Profile; NEO-FFI, NEO Five-factor Inventory; PHQ-9, Personal Health Questionnaire; QLS, Quality of Life Scale, RAS, Recovery Assessment Scale; WAI, Working Alliance Inventory; WHOQOL-BREF, World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument.