Evaluation of the effectiveness of a psychodynamically oriented day treatment program for children with behaviour problems: a pilot study.

Twenty-three consecutive admissions to a psychodynamically oriented day treatment program were assessed using a pre-/post-test design. Discharge scores revealed a significant improvement on all standardized scales for behaviour (p less than .0001), academics (p less than .05), personality measures (p less than .0001) and family measures (p less than .05). Parents reported a significantly greater behavioural improvement than both teachers and primary therapists (p less than .0001). Although all children showed improvement, parents reported significantly lower improvement rates (p less than 0.05) for children with conduct disorder compared with attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and depression. Teachers found that younger boys (aged six to nine) showed a significantly greater improvement (p less than .05) than older boys (aged ten to 12) in total behaviour score and externalizing subscores of the Revised Child Behavior Profile. At discharge 87% of children were reintegrated into regular school; only 17% were attending regular school at admission.