Abstract
Although psychotherapy for children and adolescents is efficacious when administered in university-based research settings, relatively little data support its effectiveness in the community. This study examined the outcomes of 35,429 youths (5–17 years of age) referred to public outpatient psychotherapy programs in Ohio. All youths showed statistical elevations in symptom severity and were assigned at least one DSM-IV diagnosis at intake. Parents, therapists, and adolescents completed the same norm-referenced symptom severity measure at intake and at 3 month intervals until termination. One year after intake, approximately 55% of youths showed statistically reliable symptom reduction whereas 8% showed reliable symptom exacerbation. Approximately one-third of the sample showed both reliable and clinically significant improvement. Outcomes varied significantly by informant, client age, and client gender. Results indicate that many youths improve during the course of therapy but most remain symptomatic 1 year after intake.
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Notes
Recall that only 12–17 year-old youths completed the symptom severity scale.
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Ash, S.E., Weis, R. Recovery Among Youths Referred to Outpatient Psychotherapy: Reliable Change, Clinical Significance, and Predictors of Outcome. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 26, 399–413 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-009-0171-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-009-0171-3