| Summary: | Bibliography: pages 164-172. === Assessment for psychotherapy is an area of crucial importance for positive outcome of therapy and hence should be an integral part of the training of intern psychologists. This thesis attempts to develop guidelines for the assessment of patients for psychotherapy in the local hospital setting, and is informed by a survey of the circumstances in the various training units. Quantitative work on psychotherapy outcome is reviewed in an attempt to derive such guidelines. The review is highly selective, focusing on areas relevant to the local context. Although some useful pointers emerged, at the present time this body of work is somewhat disparate, and hence not particularly helpful in the development of an integrated set of guidelines. Therefore, greater reliance was placed on literature based on work in the clinical tradition. The focus is on short-term forms of intervention. The approaches included within this rubric are categorised into reconstructive, reeducative and supportive modes (Walberg, 1977), and selection criteria were presented for each of these. Perhaps the most complex area is the assessment of ego function, which is given detailed attention. The literature on assessment of ego function derives mainly from the reconstructive tradition, but has relevance for reeducative and supportive approaches as well. It is argued that comprehensive assessment, particularly for reconstructive forms of intervention, is a complex process requiring considerable skill. Although guidelines have an important role to play, the process of assessment, like all aspects of psychotherapy, can only be learned through practice under careful supervision. The implications for training in the local psychiatric units are discussed.
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