To date, there has been little research on how maltreated children fare in treatment relative to other children. This study examined the treatment implications of a reported history of maltreatment in a sample of 343 children referred to Los Angeles area mental health clinics for emotional and behavioral investigation of clinic-based mental health care for youths. The results suggest that even in a sample of youths who had problems significant enough to lead to clinic referral, those with a history of reported maltreatment could be differentiated from comparison youths on severity of presenting problems, attrition from treatment, and outcomes 2 years later. At intake, maltreated youths showed more severe presenting problems than comparison youths. The findings indicate that maltreatment is associated with poorer treatment persistence. Additional research is recommended to determine whether maltreatment compromises treatment outcomes in well-specified evidence-based interventions. Study limitations and implications are presented. References