Factors that contribute to posttherapy persistence of therapeutic change.

Studied 30 outpatient, psychotherapy clients and assessed their relative change of status at termination and 6-months posttreatment. The vast majority of clients indicated improvement during the treatment period. A majority maintained or continued to make gains during the posttherapy period. Socioeconomic status, age, total psychotherapy sessions, initial neuroticism, and initial extraversion were identified as predictors of positive change in status at termination and follow-up. Socioeconomic status, negative life events, marital change, total psychotherapy sessions, initial neuroticism, and age were identified as variables that discriminated between those individuals who did and did not improve.