Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Children and Adolescents With Disruptive Behavior

Abstract

This article reviews the literature from 1996 to 2007 to update the 1998 Brestan and Eyberg report on evidence-based psychosocial treatments (EBTs) for child and adolescent disruptive behavior, including oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Studies were evaluated using criteria for EBTs developed by the task force on promotion and dissemination of psychological procedures (Chambless et al., 1998; Chambless et al., 1996). Sixteen EBTs were identified in this review, up from 12 in the earlier report, and 9 "possibly efficacious" treatments (Chambless & Hollon, 1998) were identified as well. This article describes the EBTs and their evidence base and covers research on moderators and mediators of treatment outcome, as well as the clinical representativeness and generalizability of the studies. Best practice recommendations from the current evidence base also are offered, as well as calls for future research that increases understanding of the moderators and mechanisms of change for children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders.

Evaluation of a University-Community Partnership to Provide Home-Based, Mental Health Services for Children from Families Living in Poverty

“…Moreover, we were able to demonstrate long-term maintenance of treatment gains one year following treatment completion for a much smaller group of participants. These results for our treatment completers are similar to those found in previous well-controlled, laboratory investigations (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). …”

“…A number of treatment programs for young children have emerged that focus on decreasing problem behaviors (e.g., aggression, non-compliance, destructiveness) (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). These early intervention programs, which consist largely of cognitive-behavioral procedures that are developmentally appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, have significantly reduced early childhood behavior problems (Brinkmeyer & Eyberg, 2003;Nicholson, Anderson, Author, & Brenner, 2002;Webster-Stratton, 1994).…”

Viewing Preschool Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Through a Developmental Lens: What We Know and What We Need to Know

“…[79][80][81] Although a comprehensive review of this literature is beyond the scope of this article (see articles in this issue), we highlight here some key findings of the primary psychosocial intervention for which there is substantial evidence of validity in preschoolers, specifically, Behavioral Parent Training (BPT). 79,82,83 BPT has been evaluated as a treatment for ODD, CD, and ADHD in children as young as 2 years old, demonstrating significant reductions in observed and parent-reported behavioral problems [84][85][86][87][88][89] and inattentive and hyperactive behavior. 84,90 Moreover, beyond statistical significance, studies demonstrate that some preschool children attain clinically significant (i.e., normalization of behavior) benefits from BPT.…”

Interpreting the inner world of ADHD children: psychoanalytic perspectives

“…​​​​ The NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as the MTA study, (Arnold et al, 1997; Swanson et al, 2008) did not include it in the treatment arsenal, and neither the reviews of psychosocial treatments by Eyberg, Nelson and Boggs ( 2008​​​​) nor by Pelham and Fabiano (2008) comprised it. I only know of one systematic study of psychoanalytic therapy (Laezer, 2015).…”