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Ability to form an alliance with the therapist: a possible marker of prognosis for patients with antisocial personality disorder

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.146.4.508

Antisocial personality disorder is generally perceived to be refractory to treatment, particularly psychotherapy. In this study, the ability of 48 patients with this disorder to form a working relationship with a psychotherapist or drug counselor was examined in relation to outcome of 24 weeks of treatment evaluated at 7-month follow-up. Some antisocial patients were able to form working relationships with their therapists, and there was a significant association between the ability to form such a relationship and treatment outcome. Measures of this ability, such as the Helping Alliance Questionnaire, may help identify antisocial patients who can benefit from psychotherapy.

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