Four perspectives on traumatized youths’ therapeutic alliance: Correspondence and outcome predictions

Abstract

Objective: Does the rater-perspective of youths’ therapeutic alliance matter? To answer this, we evaluated the relationships between four perspectives of youths’ alliance, then, we examined whether each perspective and potential discordance between the perspectives predicted outcomes. Method: Participants were 65 youth (M age = 15.11, SD = 2.14; 76.9% girls) undergoing trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and their therapists (n = 24). Youths’ alliance was rated by youth, therapists and parents using the Therapeutic Alliance Scale for Children-revised and by observers using the Therapy Process Observational Coding System-Alliance scale. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were assessed with the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA). Results: The alliance ratings by youth-parent, parent-therapist, and therapist-observer significantly correlated. Only a higher youth-rated alliance significantly predicted fewer PTSS. Furthermore, a higher therapist-rated than youth-rated alliance significantly predicted higher scores on CPSS and CAPS-CA, and a higher parent-rated than youth-rated alliance predicted significantly higher CPSS score. Conclusion: Therapists should explicitly check in with youth clients about the alliance; because only youths’ evaluation of their alliance predicted the outcome and an overestimation of their alliance by therapists and parents predicted more PTSS. Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00635752.