Outcomes for youth receiving intensive in-home therapy or residential care: a comparison using propensity scores.
This study compares outcomes for behaviorally troubled children receiving intensive in-home therapy (IIHT) and those receiving residential care (RC). Propensity score matching is used to identify matched pairs of youth (n = 786) with equivalent propensity for IIHT. The majority of pretreatment differences between the IIHT and RC groups are eliminated following matching. Logistic regression is then conducted on outcome differences at 1 year postdischarge. Results show that IIHT recipients had a greater tendency (.615) toward living with family, making progress in school, not experiencing trouble with the law, and placement stability compared with RC youth (.558; p < .10). This suggests that IIHT is at least as effective for achieving positive outcomes. Given IIHT's reduced restrictiveness and cost, intensive in-home services should be the preferred treatment over RC in most cases.
Barth
Richard P
RP
School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. rbarth@ssw.umaryland.edu
Greeson
Johanna K P
JK
Guo
Shenyang
S
Green
Rebecca L
RL
Hurley
Sarah
S
Sisson
Jocelyn
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome