title: Relationship between Expectation Management and Client Retention in Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Engaging clients from the outset of psychotherapy is important for therapeutic success. However, there is little research evaluating therapists' initial attempts to engage clients in the therapeutic process. This article reports retrospective analysis of data from a trial of online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for depression. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate how therapists manage clients' expectations at the outset of therapy and its relationship with client retention in the therapeutic intervention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a system to codify expectation management in initial sessions of online CBT and evaluate its relationship with retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initial qualitative research using conversation analysis identified three communication practices used by therapists at the start of first sessions: no expectation management, some expectation management, and comprehensive expectation management. These findings were developed into a coding scheme that enabled substantial inter-rater agreement (weighted Kappa = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.94) and was applied to all trial data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusting for a range of client variables, primary analysis of data from 147 clients found comprehensive expectation management was associated with clients remaining in therapy for 1.4 sessions longer than those who received no expectation management (95% CI: -0.2 to 3.0). This finding was supported by a sensitivity analysis including an additional 21 clients (1.6 sessions, 95% CI: 0.2 to 3.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this study suggests a relationship between expectation management and client retention in online CBT for depression, which has implications for professional practice. A larger prospective study would enable a more precise estimate of retention.
authors: Queensland University of Technology,Australia.
authors: Stuart
authors: S
authors: Ekberg
authors: University of Bristol,UK.
authors: Rebecca K
authors: RK
authors: Barnes
authors: University of Bristol,UK.
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Kessler
authors: University of Oxford,UK.
authors: Selman
authors: S
authors: Mirza
authors: University of Nottingham,UK.
authors: Alan A
authors: AA
authors: Montgomery
authors: University of Bristol,UK.
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Malpass
authors: University of Bristol,UK.
authors: Alison R G
authors: AR
authors: Shaw
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003142:Communication; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Expectation management; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); conversation analysis; initial session; outcome; psychotherapy process