title: [The relationship of therapeutic alliance with a symptom reduction and treatment satisfaction in the therapeutic treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD and/or conduct disorder].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship of therapeutic alliance and outcome is investigated in outpatient behavior therapies of children and adolescents with externalizing problem behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapist-patient and therapist-parent relationships were evaluated twice during the therapies of N = 53 patients using German relationship questionnaires adapted for use in child and adolescent psychotherapy (BeKi). Pre-post symptom reduction in parent and patient rating, treatment satisfaction as rated by therapist, parent and patient as well as child's global functioning by therapist rating are examined as outcome parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlations between therapeutic alliance and symptom reduction vary depending on the rater between absence of correlation and high correlation (maximum: r = .53). Most correlations are low to moderate. These results are comparable to those reported in recently published meta-analyses and studies of adult psychotherapy. There are moderate correlations between therapist-patient and therapist-parent alliance and treatment satisfaction and low to moderate correlations with improvements in the children's global functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only few studies have focused on treatment satisfaction and improvements in children's global functioning as outcome variables. Besides symptom reduction, these two variables also correlate significantly with the therapist-patient and therapist-parent alliance. Because correlations highly depend on the rater, future studies should consider the various perspectives.
authors: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters, Uniklinik Köln. claudia.kinnen@uk-koeln.de
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Kinnen
authors: Manfred
authors: M
authors: Döpfner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome