Therapeutic Alliance with Adolescent Clients: The Role of Attachment Style and Parent-Adolescent Agreement Regarding Targets of Therapy and Problem Severity
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The therapeutic alliance is a common factor in psychotherapy that is associated with positive treatment outcomes for adult, child, and adolescent clients receiving mental health services.Compared to research with adult therapy clients, little research has been conducted with adolescent clients examining factors associated with the therapeutic alliance.The current study investigated possible predictors of the therapeutic alliance with adolescent clients receiving outpatient services at two community mental health centers: the adolescent's attachment to his or her parent, and the extent to which parents and adolescents agree regarding the adolescent's presenting problems.Consistent with previous research, parent-adolescent agreement on presenting problems was low.Regression analyses indicated a significant main effect of attachment such that stronger attachments of the clients to their parents predicted stronger alliances with the therapist, as well as a significant interaction between attachment and agreement on presenting problems.Implications of these findings for enhancing the quality of the alliance with adolescent clients are discussed.
Author: Jennifer Storer
Institution: Ohio University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2238244555