Assessing Mental Health Program Effectiveness: A Comparison of Three Client Follow-Up Methods

In order to assess the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and mailed questionnaires, 1100 clients were randomly assigned to one of these follow-up methods. All participating clients were contacted approximately 180 days after intake using a well-documented treatment outcome measure. Response rates for the telephone interview and mailed questionnaire were approximately one-half as high as the face-to-face interview, yet for each method very few client background variables were related to whether or not clients responded. The mailed questionnaire was least affected by socially desirable responses, and also cost less to administer than either of the interview methods.