Reasons for Terminating Psychotherapy: A General Population Study

Clients' (N=693) reasons for ending psychotherapy and their associations with demographics, mental disorder caseness, and type of mental health care service provider were examined. The most frequently reported reason for termination was feeling better, however, a substantial minority of individuals reported terminating because of treatment dissatisfaction or wanting to solve problems independently. Lower income was associated with lower odds of termination because of feeling better and higher odds of termination because of a perception that therapy was not helping. Meeting criteria for an anxiety disorder, a mood disorder, or substance dependence decreased the odds of termination because of feeling better. These findings provide important information on the challenges to the successful completion of psychotherapy. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: 66:965-977, 2010.