This study focused on youths who were referred to community-based mental healths clinics for problems related to disruptive behaviors, depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, and any combination of these problems. Therapists were randomly assigned to deliver usual treatment procedures (usual care, or UC) in their clinics or an evidence-based, modularized treatment (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems, or MATCH-ADTC). Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment and post-treatment, and every 3 to 6 months for two years. Results will address critical questions about deployment of evidence-based youth practices to clinical settings.
This study focused on youths aged 6 - 15 who were referred to community-based mental healths clinics for problems related to disruptive behaviors, depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, and any combination of these problems. Using a randomized block design, therapists were randomly assigned to deliver usual treatment procedures (usual care, or UC) in their clinics or an evidence-based, modularized treatment (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems, or MATCH-ADTC). MATCH-ADTC was supported by training and supervision procedures designed to fit providers and their clinic contexts. Assessments were carried out at pre-treatment, at post-treatment, and at 3-,6-,9-,12,18-,and 24-month follow-ups. Assessments carried out at pre-treatment included (a) individual youth problems and disorders; (b) individual youth functioning at home and school; and (c) clinic staff beliefs and attitudes toward evidence-based treatments. Assessments carried out at post-treatment and follow-ups included measures of (1) youth, caregiver, and therapist satisfaction with treatment; (b) youth, caregiver, and therapist views on the quality of the therapeutic relationship; and (c) treatment costs. Assessments carried out at follow-up only included measures of (a) caregiver reports of any mental health service use following project treatment; (b) therapist reports on the extent to which the treatment procedures they used in the project are continued after project termination. Analyses will address critical questions about deployment of evidence-based youth practices to clinical settings.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
235
Usual Care therapists could use any treatment procedures they used regularly in their clinical practice.
Therapists used the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC; Chorpita \& Weisz, 2010).
Judge Baker Children's Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Brief Problem Checklist (BPC, parent and child forms)
Youth and parents were contacted weekly to report changes in youth functioning. Each person was asked to rate their own or their child's behavior on 12 items (6 internalizing and 6 externalizing behaviors) that were adapted from the Youth Self Report and the Child Behavior Checklist. Children and caregivers completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, every week during treatment, and at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 242days (SD = 121 days) after the pre-treatment assessment.
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 242 (end of treatment)
Top Problems Assessment
Youths and parents were asked to identify "The three most important problems for which you need \[or "your child needs"\] help." at the intake assessment. The six resulting problems (3 from youth, 3 from parent) were then rated on a scale of 0 ("Not serious at all") to 10 ("Very serious problem") by youth and parent. Youths and parents completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 242 days (SD = 121 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1. (Used as a measure of clinical outcome.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
UCLA PTSD Index
The PTSD Index is a 38-item questionnaire that is widely-used to assess post-traumatic stress symptoms in children. Part I is a brief lifetime trauma screen. If a significant trauma is identified, Part II assesses DSM-IV PTSD symptoms related to the trauma. Part III assesses frequency of post-traumatic stress symptoms during the past month. The measure has shown good convergent validity, strong test-retest reliability, and Cronbach's alpha values in the .90s. We will administer it separately to students and their caregivers at pre-treatment, to determine whether post-traumatic stress should be a focus of treatment, and we will re-administer it at post-treatment and follow-up to assess change over time. Youths and parents completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 242 days (SD = 121 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1. (Used as a measure of clinical outcome.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
Youth Self Report (YSR)
The YSR assesses problems in children on eight narrow-band scales (Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, Anxious, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior, Aggressive Behavior), three broad-band scales (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total problems), and six DSM-oriented scales. Children completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 242 days (SD = 121 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1.(Used as a measure of clinical outcome.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
Child Behavior Checklist
The CBCL assesses problems in children on eight narrow-band scales (Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, Anxious, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior, Aggression), three broad-band scales (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total problems), and six DSM-oriented scales. Caregivers completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 267 days (SD = 124 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1. (Used as a measure of clinical outcome.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
Therapeutic Alliance Scale for Children
The quality of youths' working alliance with their therapists was assessed via the Therapeutic Alliance Scale for Children (TASC, Shirk \& Saiz, 1992). The 7-item scale comes in both a youth-report form and a parent-report form (parents reporting on their youth's relationship with the therapist). On average, children and caregivers completed the post-treatment assessment 267 days (SD = 124 days) after the pre-treatment assessment. (Available for supplemental analyses.)
Time frame: Post-treatment (Day 267)
Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents: Treatment and Auxiliary Service Use Scales
The SACA (Horwitz et al., 2001)is a standardized interview for youths and parents that measures use of mental health services across a broad spectrum (including outpatient, inpatient, and school-based). SACA reliability and validity data are well-documented. Caregivers completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 267 days (SD = 124 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1.(Available for supplemental analyses.)
Time frame: Change over tiem from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
Brief Impairment Scale
The BIS is a 23-item instrument that evaluates three domains of functioning: interpersonal relations, school/work functioning, and self-care/self-fulfillment. Its advantages over other global impairment instruments are that it is respondent based, short in administration time, and multidimensional. Caregivers completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 267 days (SD = 124 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1.(Available for supplemental analyses.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
Services for Children and Adolescents - Parent Interview (SCAPI)
The SCAPI is a measure that tracks child's use of medication as reported by the parent. Caregivers completed the pre-treatment assessment on Day 1, at post-treatment assessment which occurred on average 267 days (SD = 124 days) after the pre-treatment assessment, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-month follow-up from Day 1.(Available for supplemental analyses.)
Time frame: Change over time from Day 1 to Day 735 (24-month follow-up)
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