|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 1, No. 1,
133-156 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/1359104596011012
© 1996 SAGE Publications
Dropping Out of Child Psychotherapy: Issues for Research and Implications for Practice
Alan E. Kazdin
Yale University
Dropping out of psychotherapy among children and adolescents is a significant problem affecting 40-60 percent of the cases receiving outpatient care. I review research on premature termination from treatment and current issues raised by that work. Our research work on dropping out of treatment among children referred for conduct disorder is highlighted to convey a risk factor and burden-of-treatment model to identify and explain who drops out of treatment and why. Factors that predict dropping out of treatment, the clinical outcomes of children who drop out and influences that moderate the impact of risk factors are discussed. A risk-factor model can aid clinical practice. Those in practice can readily test a variety of factors to determine whether such factors predict premature termination. Once at-risk cases are identified, interventions can be used early in treatment to retain cases. Efforts to establish a therapeutic alliance at the earliest points of contact within families is one such strategy. Some factors that place families at risk (e.g. high stress) may guide foci of treatment or initial clinic contacts. Clinical practice is an excellent venue for testing hypotheses about factors that place families at risk for premature termination and for intervening to improve participation in treatment.
Key Words: attrition child psychotherapy dropping out of treatment

CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Scott
An update on interventions for conduct disorder
Advan. Psychiatr. Treat.,
January 1, 2008;
14(1):
61 - 70.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. D. Watt and M. R. Dadds
Facilitating treatment attendance in child and adolescent mental health services: a community study.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
January 1, 2007;
12(1):
105 - 116.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Tse
Research on Day Treatment Programs for Preschoolers With Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Psychiatr Serv,
April 1, 2006;
57(4):
477 - 486.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Minty and C. Anderson
Non-Attendance at Initial Out-Patient Appointments at a Hospital-Based Child Psychiatric Clinic
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
July 1, 2004;
9(3):
403 - 418.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
V. Ryan
Adapting Non-directive Play Therapy for Children with Attachment Disorders
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
January 1, 2004;
9(1):
75 - 87.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Brown, E. Killian, and W. P. Evans
Familial Functioning as a Support System for Adolescents' Postdetention Success
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol,
October 1, 2003;
47(5):
529 - 541.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. M. Staudt
Mental Health Services Utilization by Maltreated Children: Research Findings and Recommendations
Child Maltreat,
August 1, 2003;
8(3):
195 - 203.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. E. Perkins-Dock
Family Interventions with Incarcerated Youth: A Review of the Literature
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol,
October 1, 2001;
45(5):
606 - 625.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. GRAHAM
Treatment interventions and findings from research: bridging the chasm in child psychiatry
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
May 1, 2000;
176(5):
414 - 419.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Wolpert
Is Anyone to Blame? Whom Families and their Therapists Blame for the Presenting Problem
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
January 1, 2000;
5(1):
115 - 131.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Byrne
Family Therapy: Terminable and Interminable
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
January 1, 1997;
2(1):
167 - 175.
[Abstract]
|
 |
|
|