The effectiveness of an experimental treatment when compared to care as usual depends on the type of care as usual.
In psychotherapy, effectiveness of an experimental treatment often is compared to care as usual. However, little if any attention has been paid to the heterogeneity of care as usual. The authors examined the effectiveness of manualized behavior therapy on school-aged disruptive behavior disordered (DBD) children in everyday clinical practice. A total of 77 DBD children (8-13 years) were randomly assigned to the Utrecht Coping Power Program (UCPP) condition or the care as usual condition. Care as usual consisted of family therapy (FT) or behavior therapy (BT). Decrease in parent-reported overt aggression was significantly larger in the UCPP condition than in the FT condition, but UCPP and BT did not differ significantly in this respect. The effect sizes of difference scores on other variables were more in favor of UCPP when compared to FT than to BT. The comparison of an experimental treatment to care as usual depends on the type of usual treatment.
van de Wiel
Nicolle M H
NM
RINO Group Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Matthys
Walter
W
Cohen-Kettenis
Peggy T
PT
Maassen
Gerard H
GH
Lochman
John E
JE
van Engeland
Herman
H
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate