You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The present study was the first of its kind to examine the outcome of psychotherapy offered at youth clinics (YCs) in Sweden. YCs are unique services offering young people easy access to free treatment for physical, sexual, mental and social problems without the requirement for parental consent. The psychotherapies, conducted with 31 participants aged 13–20, were integrative psychodynamic, individually tailored to each patient. A strong emphasis was put on forming positive therapeutic relationships. Whole-group analysis showed significant improvement on the CORE-OM self-assessment questionnaire as well as on the clinician-rated C-GAS, despite relatively short treatment duration and a very heterogenic study population. Analysis of individual change suggested that a large proportion of participants had improved after therapy, even though some of the therapies were still ongoing at the point of follow-up. Interview data helped to shed light on factors within and outside of therapy that contributed to the experience of change. Moreover, the qualitative analysis helped to create a better understanding of some of the differences that had emerged between participants’ and therapists’ assessments. The results support the need for youth-oriented services that offer young people easy access to individualized psychological treatment conducted in a collaborative and flexible manner.