Related Experiment Videos
Aggressive children in a day treatment program: changed outcome and possible explanations
S Gabel1, A J Swanson, R Shindledecker
1Children's Day Hospital, New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center.
Child Abuse & Neglect
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Treatment for severely aggressive children in day hospital programs has improved significantly. This study found better outcomes for aggressive children, even those with abuse histories, compared to earlier findings.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Behavioral Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Previous research indicated poor outcomes for severely aggressive children in day hospital programs.
- Children treated were often from dysfunctional and abusive families.
- A prior study by Gabel, Finn & Ahmad (1988) highlighted negative prognoses for aggressive children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare treatment outcomes for severely disturbed children in a day hospital setting.
- To assess if programmatic changes improved outcomes for aggressive children.
- To evaluate outcomes for aggressive children with histories of suspected child abuse/maltreatment.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study analyzing outcomes in a recent cohort of children.
- Utilized data from a day hospital treatment program.
- Compared recent outcomes with historical data from 1988.
Main Results:
- Outcomes for aggressive children significantly improved in the recent cohort.
- Improvement was observed even in aggressive children with suspected child abuse/maltreatment histories.
- The recent group of children also came from dysfunctional and abusive families.
Conclusions:
- Programmatic changes in the day hospital setting likely contributed to improved outcomes.
- Effective interventions are possible for severely aggressive children, including those with abuse histories.
- Further investigation into specific programmatic modifications is warranted.