Defection, Termination, and Continuation in Family and Individual Therapy |
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| Authors: | RODNEY J SHAPIRO PhD SIMON H BUDMAN PhD |
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| Institution: | Dr. Shapiro is Acting Director, Family Studies and Treatment Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y.;Dr. Budman was a Post-doctoral Fellow in Psychiatry (Psychology) at the University of Rochester and is currently at the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. |
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| Abstract: | Patients applying to a child study center over a period of one year were referred for either individual or family evaluation and therapy. The present study focused on comparative rates of defection (failure to appear for first session), premature termination (one to three sessions), and continuation (more than three sessions) of treatment. Structured interviews were conducted on the telephone to explore the reasons for termination or continued treatment. Three main findings emerged: (a) Drop-out rates for family therapy are significantly different than for individual treatment; (b) Major reasons for terminating or continuing treatment, in either modality, seem related to patients evaluations of their therapists; (c) Fathers of patients play a pivotal role in determining whether families terminate or continue in treatment. |
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