title: Child and family predictors of therapy outcome for children with behavioral and emotional problems.
abstract: This study investigated the characteristics of 106 children primarily referred for externalizing behavior problems and their families, and assessed the prediction of treatment outcome following a standardized short-term, cognitive behavioral group program. Exploring Together comprised a children's group (anger management, problem-solving and social skills training), a parents' group (parenting skills training, dealing with parents' personal, relationship and family-of-origin issues), and a combined children's and parents' group (to target parent-child interactions). The main predictors of reductions in externalizing and internalizing behaviors at home following treatment were children's pre-existing levels of these behavioral and emotional problems (children with higher levels improved most), and positive parent-child interaction. Higher pre-existing levels of behavioral and emotional problems and low levels of attention problems predicted greater improvement in post-treatment school behaviors. Implications of the findings for improving interventions for childhood behavioral and emotional problems are discussed.
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University, Australia. sheryl.hemphill@mcri.edu.au
authors.forename: Sheryl A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hemphill
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Littlefield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome