The main goals of the proposed study are to establish the psychometric properties of the Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy (TPOCS) and to assess applications of the TPOCS to the study of therapy process and outcome. The TPOCS is being developed to measure specific (e.g., therapeutic interventions) and nonspecific (e.g., therapeutic alliance) process variables that are prominent in child psychotherapy but for which observational assessment has not been well-developed to date. Development of the TPOCS will provide the field with a new research tool to quantify theoretically important processes in child psychotherapy and to assess proposed mediators of child psychotherapy outcome. The psychometric properties of the TPOCS will be assessed using a sample of treatment-as-usual psychotherapy tapes drawn from a larger ongoing study. Once the psychometric properties of the TPOCS are established, the TPOCS scales will be used to investigate three key questions of theoretical interest in therapy process research: (a) Are some therapy processes (i.e., specific and non-specific) associated with therapy engagement? (b) Do some therapy processes predict changes in children?s post-treatment outcomes? (c) Are the linkages between therapy processes and children?s posttreatment outcomes mediated by therapy engagement?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31MH064993-01
Application #
6445833
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-ITV-D (01))
Program Officer
Vitiello, Benedetto
Project Start
2001-09-14
Project End
Budget Start
2001-09-14
Budget End
2002-09-14
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$22,930
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Langer, David A; McLeod, Bryce D; Weisz, John R (2011) Do treatment manuals undermine youth-therapist alliance in community clinical practice? J Consult Clin Psychol 79:427-32
McLeod, Bryce D; Weisz, John R (2010) The Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy-Strategies Scale. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 39:436-43
Weisz, John R; Southam-Gerow, Michael A; Gordis, Elana B et al. (2009) Cognitive-behavioral therapy versus usual clinical care for youth depression: an initial test of transportability to community clinics and clinicians. J Consult Clin Psychol 77:383-96
McLeod, Bryce D; Wood, Jeffrey J; Weisz, John R (2007) Examining the association between parenting and childhood anxiety: a meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev 27:155-72
McLeod, Bryce D; Weisz, John R (2005) The therapy process observational coding system-alliance scale: measure characteristics and prediction of outcome in usual clinical practice. J Consult Clin Psychol 73:323-33
McLeod, Bryce D; Weisz, John R (2004) Using dissertations to examine potential bias in child and adolescent clinical trials. J Consult Clin Psychol 72:235-51