• Colleen M Cummings, Nicole E Caporino, Cara A Settipani, Kendra L Read, Scott N Compton, John March, Joel Sherrill, John Piacentini, James McCracken, John T Walkup, Golda Ginsburg, Anne Marie Albano, Moira Rynn, Boris Birmaher, Dara Sakolsky, Elizabeth Gosch, Courtney Keeton, and Philip C Kendall.
• Department of Psychology.
• J Consult Clin Psychol. 2013 Oct 1; 81 (5): 859-64.

ObjectiveWe examined the therapeutic relationship with cognitive-behavioral therapists and with pharmacotherapists for youth from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (Walkup et al., 2008). The therapeutic relationship was examined in relation to treatment outcomes.MethodParticipants were 488 youth (ages 7-17 years; 50% male) randomized to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; Coping Cat), pharmacotherapy (sertraline), their combination, or placebo pill. Participants met criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and/or separation anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The therapeutic relationship was assessed by youth report at Weeks 6 and 12 of treatment using the Child's Perception of Therapeutic Relationship scale (Kendall et al., 1997). Outcome measures (Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale; Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Anxiety Study Group, 2002; and Clinical Global Impressions Scales; Guy, 1976) were completed by independent evaluators blind to condition.ResultsFor youth who received CBT only, a stronger therapeutic relationship predicted positive treatment outcome. In contrast, the therapeutic relationship did not predict outcome for youth receiving sertraline, combined treatment, or placebo.ConclusionA therapeutic relationship may be important for anxious youth who receive CBT alone.

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