Citation

Kazdin AE. J. Child Fam. Stud. 2000; 9(2): 157-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1023/A:1009414904228

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examined the role of perceived barriers to participation in treatment and the acceptability of treatment among children and parents. Children ( N = 144, ages 6-14) referred for outpatient treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior and their families participated. The main findings were that: (a) perceived barriers to participation in treatment predicted treatment acceptability as rated by children and parents; (b) the effect was not accounted for by socioeconomic disadvantage, parent psychopathology and stress, and severity of child dysfunction; and (c) treatment acceptability was related to therapeutic change in the children over the course of therapy but the relation was small. Overall, the findings indicate that families vary considerably in the barriers they perceive in coming to treatment and that these barriers influence the extent to which they and their children evaluate the acceptability of the treatments they receive. The implications of treatment acceptability for evaluation and delivery of psychotherapy are discussed.