Diagnostic agreement predicts treatment process and outcomes in youth mental health clinics.
Several studies have documented low rates of agreement between clinician- and researcher-generated diagnoses. However, little is known about whether this lack of agreement has implications for the processes and outcomes of subsequent treatment. To study this possibility, the authors used diagnostic agreement to predict therapy engagement and outcomes for 197 youths treated in 5 community mental health clinics. Diagnostic agreement predicted better therapy engagement, with the agree group having fewer therapy no-shows and cancellations and a decreased likelihood of therapy dropout. Additionally, support for a link between agreement and treatment outcomes was found, as the agree group obtained larger reductions in parent-reported internalizing problems during treatment. These findings suggest that diagnostic accuracy may be an important precursor to successful treatment and highlight the importance of future research to find ways to incorporate standardized diagnostic procedures into clinical care settings.
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA. ajensendoss@tamu.edu
Amanda
A
Jensen-Doss
John R
JR
Weisz
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D019960:Elimination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015588:Observer Variation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*