Gender Differences, Social Roles, And Treatment Responses: Are Female Adolescents Better Responders In The Context Of School Mental Health?

Though some studies with youth suggested that females might respond more favorably to psychotherapy than their male counterparts, other literature suggests there are no differences in improvement based on gender. The question of whether female adolescents showed differential response rates to psychotherapy compared to male adolescents was examined in a school mental health (SMH) sample. Approximately 267 high school students (151 female adolescents, 116 male adolescents) between the ages of 13-19 years old were referred to the Assessment, Support, and Counseling (ASC) Center at Watauga High School, Ashe County High School, and Alleghany High School for psychotherapy services over approximately 5 years (2012-2017). Each participant completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ-30) at baseline and at least every other therapy session over the course of treatment. Upon completion of treatment, participants completed a final YOQ. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that there would not be a difference between male and female adolescents in the trajectory of recovery after receiving services in a SMH program. Multilevel Modeling was used to analyze possible gender interactions regarding psychotherapy outcomes over time in a SMH setting. As predicted, though both males and females showed improvements by the end of treatment, there were no significant gender differences in psychotherapy response over time after completing services in a SMH program.