Comportement des enfants et des adolescents

Abstrait

Therapeutic Alliance and Outcomes in Children and Adolescents Served in a Community Mental Health System

Golee F Abrishami and Jared S Warren

This study examined the association between the therapeutic alliance and behavioral/emotional outcomes in 350 youth receiving outpatient therapy at a community mental health clinic. Constructs of interest were measured at intake, 3 week, 2 month, 4 month and 6 month intervals. Results indicated that early therapeutic alliance ratings were not related to premature termination. Problem type was related to the formation of the alliance only at the three week time point. A relationship between age of the client and the formation of a therapeutic alliance was true only at the 6 month time point. Finally, therapist’s ratings of the alliance were not correlated with psychotherapy outcome. These findings indicate that further work is needed to understand associations between therapeutic alliance and youth treatment outcomes.