Correlates of initial client disturbance: expectations for therapy, dropout, resistance, and demographic description.

Relationships were investigated between initial levels of client disturbance in each of 10 problem areas and client drop-out, lateness to, and absence from therapy, expectations with regard to therapy, and various demographic variables. Data were obtained from 154 outpatients at a university psychological clinic. Correlations computed between initial disturbance scores and all other variables revealed many significant relationships. Most noteworthy were the significant relationships betwee initial disturbance levels in the areas of future goals and self-satisfaction and expectations in a psychodynamically oriented therapist. Results were discussed in terms of client's awareness of the need to deal with the psychological factors that underlie their problems and their desire for the therapist to focus on such material.