The efficacy of the Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) which is a social competence training delivered in an individual format will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour.
The German Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) aims at the therapy of children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour, which results in a persistent impairment of the relationships to other children. Contrary to other treatment approaches, this intervention aims at the individual treatment of problem maintaining and moderating factors of aggressive behaviour. Depending on the individual problem maintaining factors the treatment aims to modify social cognitive information processing, impulse control, social problem solving, social skills and social interactions. Methods: The efficacy will be tested in a partial randomized control group design with n=100 children. N=60 children will be treated for about half a year with the modules of THAV in weekly sessions. The control group of n=40 children will receive alternative interventions with group play and techniques to activate resources of the child. These interventions give the children the opportunity to train pro-social interactions. Outcome parameters are aggressive behaviour und comorbid symptoms as well as problem maintaining factors, psychosocial functioning, family burden and treatment satisfaction. Moreover, variables of the treatment process are assessed. Questionnaires, tests and individual problem checklist were used to assess these outcome and process parameters
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
100
24 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 10 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents.
12 double sessions (totally 24 treatment hours) in groups with up to 5 children. Different play activities were presented including techniques to activate resources of the child. These interventions give the children the opportunity to train pro-social interactions. Additionally up to 3 parent sessions were also included.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University Cologne
Cologne, Germany
Change in Questionnaire for Aggressive Behavior of Children (FAVK) total score for peer related aggression
The Questionnaire for Aggressive Behavior of Children (FAVK) is a newly developed parent rating scale which assesses several factors of peer related aggression: (1) disturbance of social cognitive information processing, (2) disturbance of social problem solving and social skills, (3) disturbance of impulse control, and (4) disturbance of social interaction. These scores a summed to a total score
Time frame: Change from pre- assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin and to follow up 3 months and 9 months after post assessment
Change in Symptom Checklist for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV), parent and teacher rating
The Symptom Checklist for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV) assesses all symptom criteria for ODD and some of the symptom criteria of Conduct Disorders according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV.
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin and follow up 3 months and 9 months after post assessment
Change in Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF)
The CBCL and the TRF are well evaluated rating scales for the assessement of a broad spectrum of child behavioral and emotional problems as perceived by parents and teachers respectively
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin and follow up 3 months and 9 months after post assessment
Change in KINDL rating scale for quality of life
The KINDL is a German parent and patient rating scale for the assessment of different aspects of QoL
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin
Change in Modified WFIRS (Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale)
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The modified WFIRS is a parent rating scale for the assessment of psychosocial functioning in children with ODD/CD. The original WFIRS has been developed to assess psychosocial functioning in children with ADHD. Several items have been adapted or deleted in thise modified version.
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin
Change in Individual Problem Checklist (IPC)
The IPC assesses individual problems as defined together with the parents. It represents the individual problems which were aimed to reduce with the treatment.
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin
Change in Social Problem Solving Test (SPST)
The Social Problem Solving Test (SPST) is a newly developed test that assesses problem solving compentecies according to the social problem solving theory of Kenneth Dodge as well as behavioural tendencies in specific conflict situations.
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin
Change in Five minutes speech sample (FMSS)
The FMSS is a standard assessment procedure to assess negative expressed emotions within the family. The parents are asked to describe their child for five minutes. The recorded descriptions were analyzed according to several domains.
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin
Change in Depression Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire (DASS)
The DASS assesses parental depression anxiety and stress
Time frame: change form pre assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin and follow up 3 months and 9 months after post assessment