OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of therapeutic alliance in predicting treatment dropout, response and outcome in a cohort of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and their families who were treated using a manualized form of family-based therapy (FBT). METHOD: Independent assessors scored early and late therapeutic alliances for patients and parents using the Working Alliance Inventory-Observer (WAIo). Outcomes were weights and scores on the subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination at the end of 12 months of FBT. RESULTS: Therapeutic alliance throughout treatment was strong both for adolescents and for their parents. A strong early alliance with adolescents was associated with early treatment response in terms of weight gain. A strong early alliance with parents prevented dropout, whereas a strong late parental alliance predicted their child's total weight gain at the end of treatment. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic alliance in both patients and parents treated with FBT is generally strong and likely contributes to treatment retention and treatment outcome. Copyright 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of therapeutic alliance in predicting treatment dropout, response and outcome in a cohort of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and their families who were treated using a manualized form of family-based therapy (FBT). METHOD: Independent assessors scored early and late therapeutic alliances for patients and parents using the Working Alliance Inventory-Observer (WAIo). Outcomes were weights and scores on the subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination at the end of 12 months of FBT. RESULTS: Therapeutic alliance throughout treatment was strong both for adolescents and for their parents. A strong early alliance with adolescents was associated with early treatment response in terms of weight gain. A strong early alliance with parents prevented dropout, whereas a strong late parental alliance predicted their child's total weight gain at the end of treatment. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic alliance in both patients and parents treated with FBT is generally strong and likely contributes to treatment retention and treatment outcome. Copyright 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Authors: Sarah Forsberg; Elizabeth LoTempio; Susan Bryson; Kathleen Kara Fitzpatrick; Daniel Le Grange; James Lock Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2012-07-27 Impact factor: 4.861