How the Working Alliance with Adolescent Girls in Residential Care Predicts the Trajectories of Their Behavior Problems

This study aimed to determine how well the working alliance between adolescent girls and staff in residential centers predicted the trajectories of their behavior problems from mid-adolescence to emerging adulthood. Findings showed that even after controlling for intake characteristics, the working alliance reported by the girls has a predictive effect on the trajectories of behavior problems. The weaker the alliance the girls reported, the more likely they were to follow a trajectory characterized by more behavior problems instead of trajectories of low and declining problems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.