TY - JOUR

T1 - The factor structure of the Working Alliance Inventory short-form in youth psychotherapy

T2 - an empirical investigation

AU - Cirasola, Antonella

AU - Midgley, Nick

AU - Fonagy, Peter

AU - Martin, Peter

AU - MGoodyer, Ian

AU - Reynolds, Shirley

AU - Barrett, Barbara

AU - Byford, Sarah

AU - Dubicka, Bernadka

AU - Hill, Jonathan

AU - Holland, Fiona

AU - Kelvin, Raphael

AU - Roberts, Chris

AU - Senior, Rob

AU - Target, Mary

AU - Widmer, Barry

AU - Wilkinson, Paul

AU - Impact Consortium

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Society for Psychotherapy Research.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objective: The Working Alliance Inventory short form (WAI-S) is one of the most commonly used alliance measures with adolescents. Yet, its factor structure has received minimal attention in the youth alliance literature. This study investigated the factor structure of the WAI-S in psychotherapy for adolescent depression and explored its measurement invariance across time, therapeutic approaches and patients’ and therapists’ perspectives. The existence of method effects associated with the negatively worded items of the scale was also assessed. Method: The setting of this study is the IMPACT trial, a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of three therapeutic interventions in the treatment of adolescent depression. The WAI-S was completed at 6, 12 and 36 weeks after randomization by 338 adolescents and 159 therapists. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The hypothesized Bond-Task-Goal alliance structure was not supported and a general, one-factor model was found to be more psychometrically valid. The existence of a method effect and measurement invariance across time and treatment arms were also found. Conclusions: While the distinction between the specific alliance dimensions is conceptually and clinically interesting, at an empirical level the alliance features of the WAI-S in youth psychotherapy remain strongly intercorrelated.

AB - Objective: The Working Alliance Inventory short form (WAI-S) is one of the most commonly used alliance measures with adolescents. Yet, its factor structure has received minimal attention in the youth alliance literature. This study investigated the factor structure of the WAI-S in psychotherapy for adolescent depression and explored its measurement invariance across time, therapeutic approaches and patients’ and therapists’ perspectives. The existence of method effects associated with the negatively worded items of the scale was also assessed. Method: The setting of this study is the IMPACT trial, a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of three therapeutic interventions in the treatment of adolescent depression. The WAI-S was completed at 6, 12 and 36 weeks after randomization by 338 adolescents and 159 therapists. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The hypothesized Bond-Task-Goal alliance structure was not supported and a general, one-factor model was found to be more psychometrically valid. The existence of a method effect and measurement invariance across time and treatment arms were also found. Conclusions: While the distinction between the specific alliance dimensions is conceptually and clinically interesting, at an empirical level the alliance features of the WAI-S in youth psychotherapy remain strongly intercorrelated.

KW - alliance

KW - confirmatory factor analysis

KW - measurement invariance

KW - method effect

KW - Working-Alliance-Inventory

KW - youth psychotherapy

U2 - 10.1080/10503307.2020.1765041

DO - 10.1080/10503307.2020.1765041

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32412388

AN - SCOPUS:85085338316

VL - 31

SP - 535

EP - 547

JO - Psychotherapy Research

JF - Psychotherapy Research

SN - 1050-3307

IS - 4

ER -