Working for a Community Mental Health Agency

¶ … working for a community mental health agency that serves male adolescents aged 14-16 who have received a diagnosis of conduct disorder. You have been asked by your director of clinical training to answer the following questions (choose only one): a) What family treatment modes have been found to be effective (best practices, evidence-based) for treating this population?

Submit an annotated bibliography with an entry for each of your resources. Include the references in proper APA format. Write a brief summary highlighting the theory, treatment, intervention, and research methodology discussed in each resource.

Authors conducted thorough review of existent studies on psychosocial conduct disorder and interventions in regards to children and adolescents. They also investigated oppositional defiant disorder. 82 experimental studies were evaluated using certain criteria created by the Clinical Psychology Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures. Authors concluded that the two most effective programs that met all conditions were the following: a. videotape modeling parents training program, and b. A parent-training program that was based on certain treatise called "Living with Children'"(1968). 20 of the 82 studies may have fulfilled some of the conditions of effectiveness.

(Source: Brestan, EV. & Eyberg, EM (1998) Effective psychosocial treatments of conduct-disordered children and adolescents: 29 years, 82 studies, and 5,272 kids Journ. Clin. Child Psyc. 27, 180-189)

2.Although studies unanimously show that effective parenting is the most promising way to reducing adolescent conduct problems, most counselors still use ineffective programs. The authors reviewed two federal studies that involved comprehensive searches for effective programs that dealt with conduct disorder. The Federal programs that the authors used as case histories were: (a) Preventing Substance Abuse amongst Children and Adolescents, and (b) Strengthening America's families.

The authors, consequently, singled out 3 effective prevention approaches; 35 programs; and 13 principles of effectiveness. They thereupon recommended further research on training but cautioned researchers to adjust their discoveries according to specificities of one's particular clientele.

(Source: Kumpfer, K & Alvarado, R (2003). Family-Strengthening Approaches for the Prevention of Youth Problem Behaviors American Psychologist, 58, 457-465)

3.Authors reviewed empirical findings on oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and on conduct disorder (CD). They discovered that research during the past decade was mainly neurological in origin and that these studies presented inconclusive, and sometimes contradictory results. Perplexities remain and there is lack of evidence regarding association between alleged factors and CD. The authors concluded that CD cannot be related to any one single causative factor, and that it may be treatable if various approaches are used.

Authors recommend modifying diagnostic criteria as well review of the models used to explain DBD.

(Source: Burke, JD, Loeber, B., & Birmaher, R. (2002) Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder: A Review of the Past 10 Years, Part II, J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 41, 1275-1293.)

b) Based on your readings, write a paper (750-1,000 words) in which you prepare an answer to your question, citing the resource(s) you used for your answer. Note any gaps in information, special considerations, etc., that you found limited your ability to answer your question.

Introduction

Conduct disorder in regards to adolescents remains a perplexing and frustrating condition that insists in persisting despite the numerous interventions created and used to inhibit and deal with the problem.

A lengthy review in 2002 concluded that research during the past decade was mainly neurological in origin and that these studies presented inconclusive, and sometimes contradictory results. Perplexities remain and there is lack of evidence regarding association between alleged factors and CD. The authors concluded that CD cannot be related to any one single causative factor, and that it may be treatable if various approaches are used.

The researchers thereupon recommended modifying diagnostic criteria as well urging researchers to review the models used to explain DBD. (Burke, Loeber, & Birmaher, 2002).

A later research was, however, more optimistic.

In 2003, Kumpfer and Alvorado published an article in the distinguished "American Psychologist" that demonstrated that although studies unanimously show that effective parenting is the most promising way to reducing adolescent conduct problems, most counselors still use ineffective programs. The authors reviewed two federal studies that involved comprehensive searches for effective programs that dealt with conduct disorder. The Federal programs that the authors used as case histories were: (a) Preventing Substance Abuse amongst Children and Adolescents, and (b) Strengthening America's families.

The authors, consequently, singled out 3 effective prevention approaches; 35 programs; and 13 principles of effectiveness. They thereupon recommended further research on training but cautioned researchers to adjust their discoveries according to specificities of one's particular clientele.

Interestingly enough, their research was quite similar to that conducted in 1998 by Brestan and Eybarg (1998) who conducted thorough review of existent studies on psychosocial conduct disorder and interventions in regards to children and adolescents. They also investigated oppositional defiant disorder. 82 experimental studies were evaluated using certain criteria created by the Clinical Psychology Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures. Authors concluded that the two most effective programs that met all conditions were the following: a. videotape modeling parents training program, and b. A parent-training program that was based on a certain treatise called "Living with Children'"(1968). 20 of the 82 studies may have fulfilled some of the conditions of effectiveness.

Kumpfer and Alvorado (2003) did not use the same criteria as that employed by Brestan and Eybarg (1998), but it may be possible that had they used that criteria they may have come to the same conclusions. This is particularly so since their two federal case studies had incorporated criteria from multiple researchers, practitioners, and policymakers - one of which was quite likely that of the Clinical Psychology Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures which is central to the discipline.

Conclusion

In short therefore, although Burke, Loeber, and Birmaher (2002) are pessimistic regarding the current state of efficacious interventions for CD, their opinion that a synthesis of modalities may be helpful support the conclusions of Kumpfer and Alvorado (2003) and Brestan and Eyebarg (1998). It is interesting also that conclude that:

If any single risk domain is to be singled out, aspects of parenting convey risks (including parenting behavior, psychopathology, and genetic contributions) and provide a useful focus for intervention. (1288)