The Influence of Parental Factors on Therapist Adherence in Multi-systemic Therapy

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 857 - 868
• Main Authors: Ellis, Mesha L., Weiss, Bahr, Han, Susan, Gallop, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.08.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adherence; Adolescent; Antisocial Behavior; Behavior; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Caregivers; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child Rearing; Child Rearing - psychology; Children & youth; Clinical outcomes; Clinical trials; Communication; Compliance (Psychology); Counseling Techniques; Counselors; Evidence; Expectation; Family (Sociological Unit); Family psychotherapy. Systemic therapy; Family Relationship; Female; Fidelity; Humans; Individual Characteristics; Influence; Interaction; Male; Medical sciences; Motivation; Neurosciences; Outcomes of Treatment; Parent Child Relationship; Parent Influence; Parenting; Parents; Parents & parenting; Perception; Perceptions; Practice Patterns, Physicians; Preventive Medicine; Program Implementation; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling; Psychotherapy - methods; Public Health; Resistance (Psychology); Response style; Response Style (Tests); Social Environment; Therapeutical relation and framework; Therapists; Therapy; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Disruptive behavior; Therapist adherence; Parent; Multi-systemic therapy; Social environment; Human; Parental behavior; Social influence; Compliance; Conduct disorder; Parent child relation; Treatment; Parent rating; Social interaction; Family environment; Therapeutic protocol; Psychotherapist; Social behavior disorder; Disruptive behavior. Parent
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 2730-7166; 1573-2835; 2730-7174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10802-010-9407-0

Therapist treatment adherence has received a great deal of attention in recent years, in part because of its relation to treatment outcomes. Although certain therapist behaviors have been found to be associated with treatment outcomes, little is known about client factors impacting on therapists’ ability to adhere to treatment protocols. In this study, we evaluated effects of parental beliefs, psychopathology, and interaction styles on therapists’ adherence to Multi-systemic Therapy (MST) principles. Eighty-two parents participating in a clinical trial of MST completed baseline measures assessing psychopathology, family functioning, and treatment expectations. Analyses indicated that parental perceptions of therapist adherence were established within the first 4 weeks of treatment, and that parental psychopathology, motivation, expectations, and child rearing practices were related to parental ratings of therapist adherence. Results were essentially unchanged when controlling for parental positive response style. Clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed.