Routine Outcome Monitoring Within Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy

Abstract: Background: Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is a valuable tool for personalizing psychotherapeutic treatment and enables psychotherapy process research in children and adolescents. However, to the best of our knowledge, no child- and adolescent-specific ROM system has been widely implemented in the German healthcare system. Objective: We propose a consensus-based core outcome set that accommodates the specific needs of child and adolescent psychotherapy across diverse organizational settings. Method: Outcome domains and assessment time points were derived from existing ROM frameworks and theoretical considerations. Psychometrically validated German instruments were selected, prioritizing open-access tools. Results: The core outcome set includes measures for clinically relevant constructs (e. g., symptom burden, therapeutic process) and supports both periodic and session-by-session assessments. Age-specific requirements and multi-informant perspectives were considered. Conclusion: The core outcome set is currently in the implementation phase. It holds promise for enhancing existing quality assurance initiatives (e. g., KODAP) and facilitating multicenter ROM in Germany.