This study aimed to provide meta-analytic reliability information of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). We implemented systematic search procedures to 35 eligible studies (N = 23,247; Mage = 26.74 years) that reported reliability estimates. The synthesized average values of Cronbach's alpha were 0.88 (95% CI [0.85, 0.92]) for the…

Single-case research design is a useful methodology to investigate counseling treatment effects through a time-series graph. A systematic review of 42 counseling journals was conducted, yielding 50 studies, including 272 graphs. Most graphs did not meet recommended guidelines. How graphs impact visual analysis and suggestions to enhance…

The purpose of this instructional piece was to provide a nontechnical synthesis of common internal consistency reliability estimates used in professional counseling and in related fields. The article begins with an overview of coefficients alpha, omega, omega hierarchical, and H, with guidelines for their selection. Next, I provide recommendations…

Problem Statement: Among individuals aged 12 years or older, 14.3% (40.0 million) reporting the use of an illicit drug in the previous year. Given the prevalence of drug abuse, it is increasingly important to determine effective screening practices, treatment procedures, and best practices among various subpopulations to identify drug use-related…

We describe best practices in reporting reliability estimates in counseling research with consideration to precision, generalization, and diverse populations. We provide a historical context to reporting reliability estimates, the limitations of past practices, and new methods to address reliability generalization. We highlight best practices…

Intercoder reliability can increase trustworthiness, accuracy, rigor, collaboration, and power sharing in qualitative research. Though not every qualitative design can utilize intercoder reliability, this article highlights how positivist qualitative research, community-based participatory research, and participatory evaluation all strengthen when…

The purpose of this article is to discuss reliability and precision through the lens of a modern measurement approach, item response theory (IRT). Reliability evidence in the field of counseling is primarily generated using Classical Test Theory (CTT) approaches, although recent studies in the field of counseling have shown the benefits of using…

A guide for professional counselors and counseling researchers for calculating and interpreting Percent Improvement as an indicator of clinical significance is provided. Strategies for reporting findings are described and illustrated. Guidelines for contextualizing discussions of clinical significance within the boundaries of psychometric evidence…

We investigated the effect of careless or insufficient effort (C/IE) responses in a study using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. A factor mixture model was used to identify latent classes based on the pattern of responses with biases and examine the effect of C/IE responses on the fit of the theoretical model.

Item response theory was used to study the psychometric properties of the Client Meaningful Experiences Scale (CMES). In a sample of 306 adult counseling clients, we examined the dimensional structure of the scale, item-fit, and person-fit statistics. Implications of these findings for counselors, counselors-in-training, and counseling researchers…

We conducted a psychometric synthesis of the internal consistency reliability and internal structure of scores on the English versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in publications between 2012 and 2022. Results supported acceptable-to-strong reliability and validity evidence of scores…

The present study examined the measurement invariance and latent mean differences of three versions of the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale among demographic profiles of men. Results revealed strong invariance for the three scales across all demographic groups. Differences in strict invariance and latent mean differences were identified. Public…

Publication patterns of articles in "Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development" (MECD) from 2000 to 2019 are reviewed. Five-year windows are used to analyze trends in article content (i.e., topic, methods, samples, statistical procedures) and author demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, nation of domicile, names,…

Internal validity and measurement invariance of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 item (CCAPS-62) was examined via confirmatory factor analytic models among autistic (n = 1,268) and non-autistic (n = 3,776) college students. Findings reviewed the CCAPS-62 had a strong model fit and was invariant across groups.

We reviewed 19 English version scholarly works and 11 other language translation articles from 2004-2018 for the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale -- Revised (CESD-R). Alpha was 0.92 (0.90, 0.94; N = 13,150); convergent, factorial, and diagnostic validity were robust. Implications for counseling practice and research were discussed.