Feasibility, reliability and validity of a modified approach to goal attainment scaling to measure goal outcomes following cognitive remediation in a residential substance use disorder rehabilitation setting

ABSTRACT

Objective

Although person-centred outcome measures have been recommended to evaluate cognitive rehabilitation interventions, few validated measures have been developed for this purpose. The current study examined aspects of feasibility, reliability and validity of a modified version of goal attainment scaling that uses a goal menu, calculator and control goals.

Method

Participants were N=25 female residents of a substance use disorder therapeutic community who were allocated to a four-week cognitive remediation (n=13) or treatment as usual (n=12) control group in a controlled sequential groups trial. Modified goal attainment scaling was used to set goals. Limited efficacy and efficiency, quality appraisal criteria, and convergent and discriminant validity of target and control goals were used to examine feasibility, reliability and content validity, and construct validity, respectively.

Results

Target goals were achieved at a higher rate than control goals for the Intervention, but not Control, group, with a medium effect size (r = 0.5). The approach was efficient and 44% of reliability and 75% of content validity criteria were met. Target goals correlated more strongly than control goals with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult version.

Conclusions

The modified approach to goal attainment scaling demonstrated aspects of feasibility, reliability and validity.

Key points

What is already known about this topic:

1. Cognitive remediation is a promising intervention for people with substance use disorder.

2. Goal attainment scaling captures individualised person-centred goals.

3. There is much variability in the quality and application of goal attainment scaling.

What this topic adds:

1. Modified goal attainment scaling is feasible in substance use disorder treatment research.

2. Modified goal attainment scaling meets several reliability and validity criteria.

3. Modified goal attainment scaling can be used to generate an effect size using nonparametric techniques.

KEYWORDS:

• Goal attainment scaling
• GAS
• goal setting
• substance use disorder
• cognitive remediation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the residents and staff of We Help Ourselves (WHOS) New Beginnings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/3w3rb3stt2/1.

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2023.2170652.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the University of Wollongong Community Engagement Scheme [Faculty of Social Sciences: Partnership Grant], including contribution by industry partner, We Help Ourselves, and an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.