title: Ability to form an alliance with the therapist: a possible marker of prognosis for patients with antisocial personality disorder.
abstract: Antisocial personality disorder is generally perceived to be refractory to treatment, particularly psychotherapy. In this study, the ability of 48 patients with this disorder to form a working relationship with a psychotherapist or drug counselor was examined in relation to outcome of 24 weeks of treatment evaluated at 7-month follow-up. Some antisocial patients were able to form working relationships with their therapists, and there was a significant association between the ability to form such a relationship and treatment outcome. Measures of this ability, such as the Helping Alliance Questionnaire, may help identify antisocial patients who can benefit from psychotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, PA 19104.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerstley
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: McLellan
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Alterman
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Woody
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luborsky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prout
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003376:Counseling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods