Accessible Psychological Report Writing for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Accessible Psychological Report Writing for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Accessible Psychological Report Writing for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis John Hite This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7983871/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract Psychological reports are a core health communication tool for sharing assessment results with caregivers, educators, and other professionals, yet concerns about their clarity and practical value date back more than 70 years. Contemporary reports are often written at postsecondary reading levels, rely heavily on jargon, and are experienced by many families and educators as difficult to understand. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized experimental and quasi-experimental studies that directly manipulated the format of written psychological, psychoeducational, or neuropsychological reports for children and adolescents using the same case but varying only how the report was written. Eligible studies compared traditional reports (e.g., test-by-test, jargon-dense narratives) with accessible reports (e.g., plainer language, thematic organization, concrete examples, clearer recommendations) and measured outcomes for nonpsychologist readers. A random-effects meta-analysis of 11 experiments conducted in the United States, Canada, and Sweden in school, university, pediatric neuropsychology, and child and adolescent psychiatric settings yielded a moderate-to-large pooled effect favoring accessible reports on understanding, perceived clarity and usefulness, and overall evaluations (Hedges' g = 0.91, 95% CI [0.60, 1.21]). Heterogeneity was substantial (I2 = 91.1%), and a wide prediction interval indicated that the size of the benefit varies across contexts, although all individual studies favored accessible reports. Notably, one experiment found that psychologists rated traditional technical reports as nearly as clear as accessible versions, whereas teachers found accessible reports substantially more understandable, underscoring a mismatch between authors' and consumers' perceptions. Combined with qualitative evidence from parents, educators, and young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, these findings provide strong evidence that accessible report writing should be regarded as an evidence-based practice. They also support treating accessible psychological reports as a health literacy and public health communication standard. Psychology psychological reports neuropsychological reports psychoeducational assessment access to psychological services mental health disparities health literacy health equity Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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