Probleemreductie en cliënttevredenheid in de jeugdzorg

Abstract

In this study at ‘Tender Youth Foundation’ (Stichting Tender Jeugdzorg), an organization for youth and parenting help in West-Brabant (the Netherlands), the relationship is investigated between problem reduction and the extent of problem behavior at the end of the intervention on the one hand and client satisfaction on the other. Potential moderators (age, gender, ethnicity, duration of intervention, DSM diagnosis, and adjunct therapy) were examined within these relations. The sample consists of 372 children/ adolescents and/or their parents who received an intervention from Tender. Problem reduction is measured with the Child Behaviour Checklist [CBCL], and the Youth Self Report [YSR]. In order to determine client satisfaction, the C-test or the Exit-questionnaire was filled out by parents and/or the adolescents. The results show that clients and their parents are very satisfied with the given intervention. A weak positive association was found between reduction in internalizing and total problem behavior and client satisfaction for parents of children between two and five years old. For parents of children/adolescents between five and nineteen years old, in addition to a relationship with total problem reduction, a positive relationship was found between externalizing problem reduction and client satisfaction. A remarkable result is that for the adolescents themselves no associations were found between problem reduction and client satisfaction. Adjunct therapy has proved to be a moderator in the relationship between internalizing problem reduction and client satisfaction for parents of children between two and five years old. With respect to the extent of problem behavior at the end of the intervention, no relations were found with client satisfaction for parents of children between two and five years old and the adolescents themselves. For parents of children/ adolescents between five and eighteen years old, it is shown that the smaller the amount of total and externalizing behavior problems at the end of the intervention, the higher the client satisfaction. No moderators were found in these relationships. The meaning of client satisfaction as measure for the effect of an intervention is discussed.