Page 81 - Age of onset of disruptive behavior of residentially treated adolescents -Sjoukje de Boer

Methods
Setting
The present study was conducted at a residential orthopsychiatric and forensic psychiatric youth facility that offers specialized care for youth with severe disruptive behaviour (i.e., aggressive, oppositional defiant, delinquent, and/or rule breaking behaviour), and co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Participants were referred by other specialized youth care institutions, i.e., institutions that predominantly focus on developmental, psychiatric or criminal problems in children and adolescents. In order 5 to be eligible for treatment, the youngsters had to meet the following criteria: age between 16 and 20 years, severe disruptive behaviour combined with psychiatric problems, and (a history of) previous treatment. Exclusion criteria for treatment were functioning below borderline intellectual level (IQ <70), addiction problems that need primarily substance abuse-related treatment, or severe recidivist criminal conduct for
which specialized forensic treatment was indicated.
The treatment program of the facility was based on a cognitive-behavioural treatment model with emphasis on enhancement of social competence (Bartels, 2001), extended with elements of the schema-based therapy (Young, 1990; Young et al., 2004) and consisted of a variety of therapies and training activities, for example, cognitive behavioural therapy, psycho-motor therapy, art therapy, drama therapy, family therapy, social skills training, aggression regulation training, pharmacological treatment, job training, and education.
Procedure
The research had been presented to the internal medical ethics committee. Because it was qualified as non-invasive survey research using instruments that are part of the overall clinical assessment, the committee decided that official submission was not designated. Written informed consent was obtained according to legislation and the institution’s policy, after a personal description of the study to the subjects. All inpatients agreed to participate and in concordance with the institutional policy, they participated without receiving incentives or rewards. According to the research protocol (Bruinsma & Boon, 2001) the measurements were conducted within the first weeks of admission. Discharge status was determined shortly after discharge.
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