Predictors and consequences of early gains in child psychotherapy

This study examined the predictors and consequences of early gains among children (n = 130) receiving psychotherapeutic treatment as usual for a variety of disorders. Classification tree analysis showed that not receiving Medicaid, plus receiving a medication consult, were associated with any early gain (i.e., reliable change on one or more clinical scales, with the early gain either remaining in the clinical range or moving to a subclinical level) within the first eight treatment sessions, but only Medicaid status predicted subclinical gains. Overall, patients showing a subclinical early gain showed better long-term improvement in treatment than those with no subclinical gain; patterns of change for those with and without any early gain were similar but with smaller differences between groups.