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Accuracy of a Rationally Derived Method for Identifying Treatment Failure in Children and Adolescents

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Abstract

Psychotherapy outcome can be enhanced by early identification of potential treatment failures before they leave treatment. In adults, compelling data are emerging that provide evidence that an early warning system that identifies potential treatment failures can be developed and applied to enhance outcome. The present study reports an analysis of early warning algorithms to identify treatment failures among child/adolescent patients (ages 3–18). The progress of 300 patients who had completed treatment was analyzed to see if algorithms could identify those children who ultimately had a negative outcome. Results indicated that the rationally derived method had a 77% success rate for identifying child/adolescent patients who were reliably worse or had deteriorated by the time that therapy was terminated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Psychology Trainee, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

    Matthew J. Bishop, Taige S. Bybee & Landon E. Poppleton

  2. Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

    Michael J. Lambert Ph.D. (Professor), Gary M. Burlingame Ph.D. (Professor) & M. Gawain Wells Ph.D. (Professor)

  3. Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, 272 TLRB, Provo, Utah, 84602

    Michael J. Lambert Ph.D. (Professor)

Authors
  1. Matthew J. Bishop
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  2. Taige S. Bybee
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  3. Michael J. Lambert Ph.D.
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  4. Gary M. Burlingame Ph.D.
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  5. M. Gawain Wells Ph.D.
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  6. Landon E. Poppleton
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Correspondence to Michael J. Lambert Ph.D..

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Bishop, M.J., Bybee, T.S., Lambert, M.J. et al. Accuracy of a Rationally Derived Method for Identifying Treatment Failure in Children and Adolescents. J Child Fam Stud 14, 207–222 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-005-5049-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-005-5049-1

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