The Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire
Empower mental health nursing with the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ). This is an innovative tool co-created with service users to improve care quality and recovery outcomes.
About the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire
The Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ) is a pioneering tool that objectively measures therapeutic engagement in inpatient mental health settings. Co-developed with service users and mental health nurses, the TEQ highlights the vital role registered mental health nurses play in supporting recovery.
Before the TEQ, there was no objective way to recognise nurses' contributions or capture service users’ perspectives on their recovery journey. Now, with two tailored versions — one for service users and one for nurses, the TEQ provides measurable insights into therapeutic engagement.
Key benefits of the questionnaire
- Validates the impact of nursing on service user recovery.
- Captures service users’ voices through scoring systems.
- Drives engagement and improves care quality.
The TEQ is used widely across NHS Mental Health Trusts, private healthcare providers and international settings. Recognised by NHS England in its Atlas of Shared Learning and the Mental Health Nurse’s Handbook, the TEQ supports the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.
Why use the TEQ
The insights gathered through the TEQ help healthcare providers to better understand:
- The scope of nursing activities that support recovery.
- How service users experience therapeutic engagement.
By using the TEQ, organisations enhance care quality and foster more equitable nurse-service user relationships.
Supporting research and references
The TEQ is backed by robust research:
- Chambers et al. (2019): Development of the TEQ as a service user-focused outcome metric.
- Taylor et al. (2022): Barriers and enablers to TEQ implementation in acute mental health settings.
- NHS England: Case studies demonstrating TEQ's role in improving therapeutic engagement.
- McAndrew, Sue, Chambers, Mary, Nolan, Fiona, Thomas, Ben and Watts, Paul (2014) Measuring the evidence : reviewing the literature of the measurement of therapeutic engagement in acute mental health inpatient wards. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23(3), pp. 212-220. ISSN (print) 1445-8330
- Chambers, M., McAndrew, S., Nolan, F., Thomas, B., Watts, P., Grant, R., & Kantaris, X. (2019). The Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire (TEQ): a service user-focused mental health nursing outcome metric. BMC Psychiatry, 19(1), 384. doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2326-x
- Chambers, M., McAndrew, S., Nolan, F., Thomas, B., Watts, P., & Kantaris, X. (2021). Measuring therapeutic engagement in acute mental health inpatient environments: the perspectives of service users and mental health nurses. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 547. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03561-z
- Taylor F, Galloway S, Irons K, Mess L, Pemberton L, Worton K, and Chambers M. (2022). Barriers and enablers to implementation of the Therapeutic Engagement Questionnaire in acute mental health inpatient wards in England: A qualitative study. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31 (1467). doi: 0.1111/inm.13047
- Taylor F, Galloway S, Irons K, Mess L, Pemberton L, Worton K, and Chambers M. (2024) International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 6 (100180)
- NHS England. The Atlas of Shared learning: TEQ Case Study.
- NHS England.
Publications and further reading
Chambers, M. et al. (2021). Measuring therapeutic engagement in acute mental health inpatient environments. BMC Psychiatry.
Taylor, F. et al. (2024). Behavioural changes associated with therapeutic engagement tools. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances.
For more resources, see the NHS England case study and
Access the TEQ
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Contact us to start your journey towards improved care quality today.
Email Professor Mary Chambers to find out more.
