Parents' perceived treatment match and treatment retention over 12 months among youths in the lams study

Objective: The goal of these analyses was to describe the 12-month prevalence of mental health services retention for youths ages six to 12 years and identify predictors of treatment retention. Data were from the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms study. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort study, 416 children and their parents completed measures of mental health services use and parents' perception of the services and participated in semistructured psychodiagnostic interviews during a baseline and 12-month assessment. Logistic regression analyses examined the effects on 12-month treatment retention of demographic and clinical variables and parents' perception of how well their children's treatment matched their needs. Results: Sixty-nine percent of youths (N=289) continued to use services at 12 months. After the analyses controlled for other demographic and clinical factors, white race (p,.001) and greater functional impairment (p=.024) were associated with treatment retention; greater perceived treatment match at baseline significantly predicted retention above and beyond the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables (p=.001). Conclusions: Parents' perceptions about appropriateness of treatment, white race, and functional impairment predicted 12-month treatment retention.