Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM)
A 34-item self-report instrument designed to measure psychological distress and clinical outcomes across four domains: subjective well-being, problems/symptoms, life functioning, and risk/harm.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) was developed by Evans, C., Connell, J., Barkham, M., Margison, F., McGrath, G., Mellor-Clark, J., & Audin, K. (2002). It is designed to measure Psychological distress. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 34 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Subjective well-being, Problems/symptoms, Life functioning, Risk/harm.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective well-being | 4,14,17,31 | 4 |
| Problems/symptoms | 2,5,8,11,13,15,18,20,23,27,28,30 | 12 |
| Life functioning | 1,3,7,10,12,19,21,25,26,29,32,33 | 12 |
| Risk/harm | 6,9,16,22,24,34 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all, 1 = Only occasionally, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Most or all the time.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 136. Interpretation guidelines:
- Healthy / Non-clinical: 0 – 33
- Mild Distress: 34 – 47
- Moderate Distress: 48 – 67
- Moderate-to-Severe Distress: 68 – 84
- Severe Distress: 85 – 136
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.