Patients who receive the mental health treatment of their choice are less likely to drop out of an intervention and have a stronger therapeutic alliance, according to a systematic review.

UK authors reviewed 29 randomised controlled trials of psychosocial interventions in nearly 5300 patients with mental health diagnoses.

Patients who had received their preferred treatment had a 38% lower risk of dropping out compared with patients who get the therapy of their choice, the authors found.

Furthermore, four studies that measured therapeutic alliance found it was significantly stronger for patients who received their preferred treatment.