A Comparison of Parent and Therapist Ratings of Outcome in a Child Mental Health Clinic

Abstract

Aim: The study's aim was to ascertain how much parents and therapists agree about therapy outcome. Method: We contacted 50 recently helped families using postal questionnaires including a 7-item outcome scale derived from MAISY data system. We used a weighted kappa test to compare parents and therapists views. Results: Response rate was 63.8%. Observed agreement was 73%, and expected agreement 54%, producing a kappa of 0.42 consistent with moderate parent-therapist agreement. Discussion: Results are consistent with parents and therapists having similar perceptions of therapy outcome. It is important to monitor parental and professional views and the extent to which they coincide.