The relationship between general psychopathology in young people with family functioning and engagement with psychotherapy.

Objective: to examine whether an underlying general psychopathology factor (p factor) existed in children and adolescents attending psychodynamic psychotherapy and whether this general psychopathology factor was associated with family functioning and engagement with psychotherapy.

Method: Participants were 1976 children and adolescents, and their families, who sought psychodynamic psychotherapy from a community-based clinic in Southern Brazil. The Child Behavior Checklist and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales for assessing symptoms and family functioning were used, with treatment engagement data available through linked records.