Predictors of psychotherapy outcome for children at a community mental health center

This study assessed the utility of multiple predictors of outcome for 268 child clients and their families who received psychotherapy at a community mental health center for children. Outcome was measured by the number of therapy sessions attended, the length of therapy, and improvement ratings of the child and family made by independent judges. Regression analyses revealed that the strongest predictors of outcome were previous exposure to therapy, therapist type (permanent professional staff vs. intern), family constellation, therapist experience, and referral source. Implications for treatment planning and future research are discussed.