title: Examining Effectiveness of Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Externalizing and Internalizing Disorders in Urban Schools.
abstract: This article presents outcome data of the implementation of three group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) interventions for children with externalizing behavior problems, anxiety, and depression. School counselors and graduate students co-led the groups in two low-income urban schools. Data were analyzed to assess pre-treatment to post-treatment changes in diagnostic severity level. Results of the exploratory study indicated that all three GCBT protocols were effective at reducing diagnostic severity level for children who had a primary diagnosis of an externalizing disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder at the clinical or intermediate (at-risk) level. All three GCBT protocols were implemented with relatively high levels of fidelity. Data on the effectiveness of the interventions for reducing diagnostic severity level for externalizing and internalizing spectrum disorders and for specific disorders are presented. A discussion of implementation of mental health evidence-based interventions in urban schools is provided.
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA eiraldi@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eiraldi
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Billie S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jackie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Keiffer
authors.affiliation: Devereux Foundation, King of Prussia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Barry L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: McCurdy
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathen
authors.affiliation: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Abbas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jawad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: diagnostic severity level; effectiveness; group CBT; implementation; urban schools