Research
Hamm Clinic's guiding vision for our research program is the integration of clinical practice, research, and training in order to improve the way we treat clients and contribute knowledge to the mental health community. Our research program has been active in documenting the effectiveness of our mental health service model for nearly 15 years.
Hamm Clinic's research data is used to:
- Make appropriate clinical decisions
- Monitor the course of treatments
- Evaluate outcomes of psychotherapy
- Provide evidence for treatment
Most of us imagine research taking place in a laboratory or other highly controlled environment. This type of research randomly assigns identical participants to a control group (that receives no treatment) and to different groups that receive various kinds of treatments. The results of the treatments (how well or poorly the subjects do) are then compared with the control group to determine which interventions worked and why. This kind of research is called efficacy research. At Hamm Clinic we have neither identical participants nor control groups. Yet, we can do valid research in a real-world setting. The kind of research we do is called effectiveness research. Effectiveness research seeks to determine whether the treatment we provide (psychodynamic psychotherapy) is effective in a community mental health center setting with a variety of clients.
Confidentiality
Hamm Clinic safeguards client confidentiality in all aspects of its research. Research participants are identified by a number and their name and any other identifying information remains confidential. Research data is kept in a secure location with access restricted to the researchers and their supervisors. No identifying information of any kind is ever shared with anyone outside of the clinic.