Effects of core factors determining the effectiveness of psychotherapy on psychotherapy dropout

Although there are differences among therapy methods, from a transtheoretical perspective, psychotherapies appear to have common characteristics. These factors play an important role in the effectiveness of therapy. Dropout can indicate that therapy was not effective. In this study, the experiences of adult clients and therapists living in Turkey regarding psychotherapy dropout were examined in the context of these core factors. The research sample consists of two independent groups: "clients" and "therapists." The client sample has 172 participants who attended at least 1 therapy session after the age of 18. The therapist sample has 77 participants who have at least an undergraduate degree in psychology, psychological counseling, or psychiatry and 6 months of experience. The data were collected using a Demographics Form, Working Alliance Inventory-Short, Milwaukee Psychotherapy Expectations Questionnaire, Client Motivation for Therapy Scale, Thoughts About Psychotherapy Survey, Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales and Reactions to Psychotherapy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Independent Samples T-Test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson and Spearman correlation tests, and mediation analyses. The study revealed that many core factors determining the effectiveness of psychotherapy, particularly from the client's perspective, are decisive on dropout. This study aims to contribute to the literature by helping psychotherapies become more effective and sustainable.