Development and validation of the cognitive-behavioral therapy skills questionnaire.
The CBTSQ is a 2-minute client quiz that tells you whether people are really learning Behavioral Activation and Cognitive Restructuring.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Matson et al. (2011) built a short 16-item quiz called the CBTSQ.
It asks clients how well they use two core CBT moves: Behavioral Activation and Cognitive Restructuring.
The team ran factor checks, reliability tests, and validity checks on mixed-clinical adults.
What they found
The CBTSQ hung together cleanly with strong internal consistency.
Scores went up as clients moved through CBT and predicted later symptom drops.
In plain words: higher skill scores meant people felt better.
How this fits with other research
Lancioni et al. (2009) did the same kind of work but aimed at the provider. Their KEBSQ tracks how much therapists know about evidence-based practices.
L et al. flip the lens: they measure what the client can actually do.
Together the two tools give you a full picture—therapist knowledge on one page, client skill on the next.
Why it matters
You now have a quick, free way to check if clients are picking up the skills you are teaching. Give the CBTSQ at session 4, 8, and 12. If scores stall, you can add more practice or simplify homework before therapy drifts.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although several theories exist to describe why patients improve in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in only a limited number of studies has CBT skill acquisition been examined, particularly among patients with complex clinical profiles. Thus, the overarching aim of this research was to develop a tool to measure patients' use of CBT skills, such that it would have clinical utility for patients and therapists during treatment. In Study 1, the authors developed an initial set of items for the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Skills Questionnaire (CBTSQ). They submitted these items to an exploratory factor analysis in an initial administration (n = 350) and to a confirmatory factor analysis in a second administration (n = 378). Results indicated that there were two factors (Behavioral Activation and Cognitive Restructuring) with good factor structure and internal consistency, and both the factors evidenced expected relationships with other constructs. In Study 2, the criterion validity of the CBTSQ was investigated on a patient sample in a CBT-oriented treatment setting. Results showed that CBTSQ scores increased following treatment, and Cognitive Restructuring and Behavioral Activation scores predicted reduction of overall psychiatric symptoms and depression. Thus, the CBTSQ appears to be a promising measure of CBT skill acquisition and treatment outcome as well as an instrument that can help patients and therapists monitor progress specifically related to a CBT skills training treatment approach.
Behavior modification, 2011 · doi:10.1177/0145445511419254