Factors associated to outcome in psychotherapy: an effectiveness study in Puerto Rico

Psychotherapy research has not received much attention among Latinos in the U.S. or in Latin America including Puerto Rico. The present study explores factors associated with the effectiveness of psychotherapy with a sample of Puerto Ricans. Seventy-nine persons who received psychotherapy participated in a study aimed at evaluating the process and outcome of psychotherapy. Participants completed a questionnaire on the effects of treatment on the presenting problem. Information from the questionnaire and other information from the clinical records included the BDI and the Symptom Check List-36 scores, the number of sessions received, etc. constituted the data set. The results show that symptomatic severity, age. the number of sessions, and the therapeutic alliance were associated with effectiveness. Also, the alliance explained 45% of the variance in effectiveness. The results suggest that the therapeutic alliance merits further study in psychotherapy research and in clinical training.