Effectiveness of Day Treatment for Disruptive Behaviour Disorders: What is the Long-term Clinical Outcome for Children?

OBJECTIVE The present study investigates the clinical long-term outcomes (2½ to 4 years post-discharge) of children aged 12 and under with a primary diagnosis of a Disruptive Behaviour Disorder (DBD) who attended a short-term day treatment program using best-practice treatment strategies. This study compared children's admission, discharge, and follow-up test scores on standardized measures of behaviour and functioning, as rated by parents. METHOD Measures of clinical symptoms in the children and parent report of stress were used. To test for treatment effects across time, two repeated-measures ANOVAs were calculated. RESULTS There was significant treatment change across time points on measures of social problems, externalizing symptoms, levels of aggression, intensity of problems, and symptoms of ADHD. CONCLUSIONS Children with DBD who attended a short-term day treatment program using best-practice treatment strategies showed significant improvement in their behaviour at home. These improvements were relatively long lasting. The current study lends support to the effectiveness of day treatment and the idea that severe DBD can be treated using multi-modal, intensive, and evidence-based treatment techniques resulting in long-term change.