Psychotherapy Outcome Research with Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Describes the context of child and adolescent psychotherapy and psychotherapy research, summarizes findings of that research, and offers a constructive critique. The authors suggest a number of issues that need to be addressed, and approaches that need to be taken, to advance the field. Topics addressed include prevalence of child psychopathology and use of psychotherapy; distinctive features of child treatment; evidence on the effects of child treatment; description, interpretation, and cautionary notes regarding psychotherapy research; findings from meta-analyses of child psychotherapy research; outcome as a function of therapy, therapist, and child factors; representativeness of outcome research vis-à-vis clinical practice; evidence on the effects of child treatment in clinical practice; assessment of therapy process in clinical practice; treatment components; therapist behavior during treatment; child and family behavior during treatment; the therapeutic relationship; and ethnicity and culture of treated children and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved)