Examining outcome variability: correlates of treatment response in a child and adolescent anxiety clinic.
Examined correlates of treatment response in a clinic providing cognitive-behavioral therapy for children with anxiety disorders. Youth (ages 7 to 15) with a primary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev., or 4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1987, 1994) anxiety-disorder diagnosis (overanxious disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, or avoidant disorder) participated. After completing a full course of treatment and posttreatment (n = 135) and 1-year follow-up (n = 107) assessments, participants were classified into 1 of 2 groups--poor treatment response and good treatment response--using parent diagnostic reports. Discriminant function analyses indicated that higher levels of maternal- and teacher-reported child-internalizing psychopathology at pretreatment, higher levels of maternal self-reported depressive symptoms, and older-child age were all associated with less favorable treatment response. Other factors, such as child ethnicity, child sex, family income, family composition (i.e., dual parent vs. single parent), child-reported symptomatology, and maternal-reported level of child-externalizing behavior problems did not predict treatment response. Both practical and conceptual implications of the findings are discussed.
Southam-Gerow
M A
MA
Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, USA.
Kendall
P C
PC
Weersing
V R
VR
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011897:Random Allocation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome