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PREMATURE TERMINATION: THE PATIENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Reynolds, David Jerome
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin992364526

Abstract Details

2001, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences : Psychology.
This thesis compares patients who prematurely terminated psychological services to those who completed or continued treatment. It examines between-group differences in demographic and clinical variables, including patients' opinions about their therapists as well as their responses to open-ended questions regarding hopes, surprises, and the most and least effective aspects of treatment. Premature terminators are defined as patients who stop psychological services before meeting their treatment goals - as judged by their therapist - with or without informing the therapist. Data were collected as part of a larger naturalistic study of the effectiveness of a waiting-list group, which patients could attend after their initial interview but before they were assigned a therapist at a university-affiliated urban mental health center. The data clarify the consistent finding that race, education, and income have a low to moderate relationship with premature termination. Compared to completer/continuers, premature terminators were more likely to be African-American, less educated, and report less income. While premature terminators did not differ from completer/continuers in terms of symptom discomfort, as measured by the OQ-45, they rated as significantly lower their overall benefit from treatment, and the extent to which their therapists were likable, understanding, and gave good advice. Patient ratings of getting good advice and being understood emerged as the best predictors from among other variables that included race- and gender-based matching of patient to therapist, patient ratings of therapist abilities, prior inpatient or outpatient experience, education, occupational status, occupational type, and reported monthly income. Good advice and understanding together predicted 34% of the variance and correctly classified 71% of patients in a bivariate logistic regression. A similar percentage of the two groups reported medication and talking one-on-one as "hoped for" treatments and experienced "talking" as the most effective part of treatment. Few members of either group reported positive or negative surprises with treatment.
Edward Klein (Advisor)
Psychology, Clinical
PSYCHOTHERAPY; TERMINATION; DROPOUT

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Reynolds, D. J. (2001). PREMATURE TERMINATION: THE PATIENT'S PERSPECTIVE [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin992364526

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Reynolds, David. PREMATURE TERMINATION: THE PATIENT'S PERSPECTIVE. 2001. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin992364526.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Reynolds, David. "PREMATURE TERMINATION: THE PATIENT'S PERSPECTIVE." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin992364526

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin992364526
3,490
© 2001, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.