Adolescents' dropout from individual psychotherapy--is it true?
Although adolescent patients are said to have a propensity to drop out from psychotherapy, and clinical experiences seem to support this view, few studies have systematically examined this issue. However, a review of researches on adults' dropout shows that dropout is a serious problem for psychotherapy with adult patients. Moreover, available evidence on adolescents' dropout suggests that there is no significant difference in the rates of dropout from psychotherapy between adolescent patients and adult ones. In order to understand the specific quality of adolescents' dropout, the termination of psychotherapy with an adolescent patient is described and discussed. The view is put forward that it is because of the strong counter-transference feelings evoked in the therapist, when his adolescent patient leaves him prematurely, tends to maintain the impression of adolescents' proclivity to drop out from psychotherapy.
Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
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Suzuki
D000184:Acting Out; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors