SYSTEMIC THERAPY WITH A REFLECTING TEAM - ASPECTS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND PROCESS-OUTCOME-RELATION

An exploratory investigation was conducted about the effectiveness of the Reflecting Team approach. We examined aspects of therapy outcome, satisfaction with treatment and the significance of special treatment components. The first (and often only) therapy session was videotaped and process variables were assessed by independent raters. The sample consisted of 33 families, treated at a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Catamnestic results could be obtained from 25 fami lies at two timepoints (median: 15 and 38 months after treatment termi nation). The child's symptoms had still been improving until the secon d followup interview, but the parents then reported less satisfaction with therapy, if one takes their willingness to return to the clinic w ith any new problems as an indicator of treatment satisfaction. This i ndicator was related to treatment outcome. Positive remembrances of th e family talks were not influenced by the current condition of the chi ld's problems or the family relationships, but were associated with th e families' attribution of change to the therapy. Besides some feature s of postsession outcome a specific treatment factor seems to have a b earing on the families' satisfaction: presenting a variety of ideas an d suggestions proved to be favourable.