Abstract
For years and decades psychology professionals have been trying to elucidate the complexities, which surrounded different treatment modalities and the ways in which the benefits of evidence-based practice could be transferred to real life medical environments. In their article, Southerland et al (2009) provide extensive evidence regarding the positive effect of therapeutic relationship between children and their treatment providers on treating serious behavioral and emotional disorders.
Therapeutic Relationship
For years and decades psychology professionals have been trying to elucidate the complexities, which surrounded different treatment modalities and the ways in which the benefits of evidence-based practice could be transferred to real life medical environments. In their article, Southerland et al (2009) provide extensive evidence regarding the positive effect of therapeutic relationship between children and their treatment providers on treating serious behavioral and emotional disorders.
The area of child treatment is characterized by a whole complex of process factors, of which therapeutic relationship is recognized as the important driver of better treatment outcomes in children with emotional disorders. The review of literature leads Southerland et al (2009) to suggest that stronger therapeutic alliances between youth and treatment providers substantially decrease externalizing behaviors and symptoms and raise the quality of psychological care. Southerland et al (2009) use a sample of youth with aggressive behavior and psychiatric disorders, who resided from June 1999 through May 2001 in TFC. The combination of incidence and prevalence methodology has led to anticipated results: “the relationship between the treatment parent and youth in a TFC setting is significantly associated with better emotional and behavioral functioning for the youth” (Southerland et al, 2009). These findings go in line with the rest of previous studies, to which Sutherland et al (2009) refer in their article.
On the one hand the development of closer interpersonal relationships between a young patient and the treatment parent is an excellent factor driving better treatment outcomes in youth with aggressiveness and emotional disorders. On the other hand, we lack substantial information regarding the possible impact of the quality of therapeutic programs on the child’s wellbeing. It is very possible that the combination of therapeutic relationship and better quality of treatment programs would produce a synergic effect on the youth’s health, helping them to cope with the psychological and psychiatric disorders, giving them another chance to become full members of our society.
References
Southerland, D.G., Mustillo, S.A., Farmer, E.M., Stambaugh, L. & Murray, M. (2009).
What’s the relationship got to do with it? Understanding the therapeutic relationship in therapeutic foster care. Child Adoles Soc Work J, 26: 49-63.