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Disruptive Behavior Treatment Progress as a Function of Therapy Focus and Youth Diagnosis in a Community Mental Health Setting

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Abstract

Monthly disruptive behavior treatment progress for 613 youth ages 7–18 receiving intensive in-home services was examined. Multilevel modeling indicated carrying a depressive mood diagnosis predicted less disruptive behavior progress compared to youth with only externalizing diagnoses. Paradoxically, more monthly focus on disruptive behavior treatment targets predicted lower concurrent progress ratings, while greater focus on depressive mood targets predicted greater disruptive behavior progress for youth with a depressive mood diagnosis. Findings held when other predictors of disruptive behavior progress were included as covariates, including episode length, youth age, and functional impairment. Treatment and research implications are discussed.

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Notes

  1. The disruptive behavior target predictor variable included all seven targets while the outcome progress rating criterion variable was based on only three of these targets (see justification earlier). To assure this choice did not affect results, all analyses were replicated using only the subset of three disruptive behavior targets as predictors with no change in results. Data available from author.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part from a research and evaluation contract awarded to the third author by the State of Hawaii Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Hawai‛i at Mānoa, 2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki C400, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Daniel P. Wilkie, David C. Cicero & Charles W. Mueller

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  1. Daniel P. Wilkie
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  2. David C. Cicero
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  3. Charles W. Mueller
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Correspondence to Charles W. Mueller.

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Wilkie, D.P., Cicero, D.C. & Mueller, C.W. Disruptive Behavior Treatment Progress as a Function of Therapy Focus and Youth Diagnosis in a Community Mental Health Setting. Adm Policy Ment Health 45, 484–494 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0840-z

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