Predictors of Outcome in Child Psychoanalysis: A Retrospective Study of 763 Cases at the Anna Freud Centre

Under Anna Freud's guidance, the Anna Freud Centre developed a rigorous approach to the collection of child psychoanalytic data. Material contained in detailed diagnostic assessments and weekly written reports of 763 cases treated in intensive and nonintensive therapy has now been subjected to systematic study. This is the first, retrospective stage of a major investigation of child psychoanalytic outcome, carried out in collaboration with Yale University Child Study Center, New Haven, CT. The main findings of the work are reviewed. The study showed child analysis to be particularly effective for seriously disturbed children under 12 years suffering from a variety of psychiatric disorders, particularly those which involve anxiety.