Description

The Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAQ) is an assessment tool designed to measure the quality of the therapeutic alliance between health professionals (such as psychotherapists, social workers, etc.) and their clients or patients. The therapeutic alliance refers to the collaborative and supportive relationship developed between the professional and the individual receiving help, which is critical to the success of the therapeutic process.

Objective

The main objective of the Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAQ) is to evaluate the quality of the therapeutic alliance with the aim to:
Measure the quality of the therapeutic relationship: Analyze how well the collaborative relationship between professional and client is functioning.
Identify problems or weaknesses in the relationship: Detect areas where there may be a lack of support or cooperation.
Improve clinical practice: Provide feedback that can help professionals improve their interpersonal relationships with clients.
Evaluate the contribution of the alliance to treatment success: Understand the connection between the quality of the alliance and therapeutic outcomes.

Analysis

Analysis of the HAQ involves evaluating responses to a series of statements related to the therapeutic alliance. Questions are typically rated on a five-point Likert scale (from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). The statements examine various aspects of the alliance such as:
Collaboration: The ability of both parties to work together toward shared therapeutic goals.
Support: The sense of support and understanding that the professional provides to the client.
Trust: The level of trust the client has in the professional, and vice versa.
Communication: The quality of communication and the openness to discussion and feedback.

Scoring

Scoring the HAQ involves calculating total scores for each category and an overall score for the quality of the therapeutic alliance. The scores are calculated as follows:
Total Score: Sum of the scores across all questions; higher scores indicate a better quality of therapeutic alliance.
Subscale Scores: Mean scores are calculated for each dimension of the alliance (e.g., collaboration, support, trust, communication).
Score categories can be interpreted as:
Low Quality Alliance: Low scores across categories, indicating problems in the therapeutic relationship.
Moderate Quality Alliance: Moderate scores, indicating some issues that may require attention.
High Quality Alliance: High scores across categories, suggesting a strong and supportive therapeutic relationship.

References

Bordin, E. S. (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 16(3), 252–260.
Horvath, A. O., & Greenberg, L. S. (1994). The working alliance: Theory, research, and practice. Oxford University Press.
Safran, J. D., & Muran, J. C. (2000). Negotiating the therapeutic alliance: A relational approach. Guilford Press.
Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., & Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(3), 438–450.