A review of the literature and a preliminary study of family compliance in a developmental disabilities clinic.

To investigate the compliance of family members with the treatment recommended for patients, three child and adolescent psychiatrists assessed the charts of all active outpatients in a developmental disabilities clinic in the psychiatric department of a tertiary care municipal hospital utilizing a Family Compliance Checklist, a survey form for chart review, in October, 1993 (n = 40), and in April, 1994 (n = 41). Almost no clients missed appointments over a 6-mo. period.