2007-04-26 14:09:18 -
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BOSTON, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Troubled teens with serious emotional and behavioral issues not only improve during treatment at a private therapeutic residential program but they maintain their healthier outlooks and functioning long after leaving the program, says a new study. The findings are from the final phase of the nation's first multi-year, multi-center study on the effectiveness of private therapeutic residential programs for troubled teens. The study's final phase followed the outcomes of more than 1,000 adolescents for one year after their discharge from nine private therapeutic residential programs across the United States.
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The goal of the study was to measure the effectiveness of private therapeutic residential programs in treating adolescents with serious behavioral or emotional problems who had not responded to previous treatments, such as individual therapy, medications and psychiatric hospitalization.
"In our initial findings announced last year, teens with clinically impaired emotional and behavioral functioning were rated as 'normal' after a period of treatment at a private therapeutic residential facility," said Dr. Ellen Behrens, lead researcher at Canyon Research & Consulting, Salt Lake City, Utah, which conducted the study. "In this final phase of the study we found that those teens who showed 'normal' post-treatment results at the time of discharge continued to be ranked in the normal range a year later." The study was audited and reviewed by the Western Institutional Review Board, an independent organization that provides research review services to institutions and independent researchers around the world.
The study followed 1,027 adolescents, ages 13 to 18, for one year after discharge from a participating therapeutic program. The study focused on changes in a broad range of behavioral and emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, thought or obsession problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behaviors, aggression and withdrawn behaviors.
"This is a landmark study for our industry," said Jan Moss, executive director of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, an organization representing programs and professionals assisting adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues. "Our member programs previously had to rely on anecdotal evidence and individual success stories as proof that their programs work. By championing new research studies, our industry can offer a proven option for parents considering private therapeutic residential programs for a troubled teen."
"This study provides extremely significant information for the thousands of families who are making tough decisions about how to help a struggling teen," said Elliot Sainer, president of Aspen Education Group, which provided study sites for the research at its private therapeutic residential programs. "The research demonstrates that clinically driven, high-quality programs can offer solutions for these families."
Private therapeutic residential programs are privately paid schools or programs providing a comprehensive therapy-based curriculum for troubled teens. Programs generally offer individual and/or group therapy combined with personal and emotional growth counseling in a highly structured campus environment with an academic component. These programs are designed to offer teens new life skills to address behavioral, emotional, social, family and academic problems. Enrollments generally range from 3 to 18 months.
Canyon Research & Consulting (
http://www.canyonrc.com/) is a privately owned company comprised of a team of psychologists and researchers who provide outcome research services to mental health programs and providers. The research study's final phase results will be presented at the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) conference in Boston on April 27.
The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs represents more than 180 programs and professionals assisting young people with emotional and behavioral difficulties. According to NATSAP, parents considering placement of a child at a private residential treatment program should look for licensed and accredited facilities with a longstanding record of safety and a licensed and qualified staff of therapists, teachers and administrators. For information, visit
http://www.natsap.org/.
Aspen Education Group (
http://www.aspeneducation.com/) is the nation's leading provider of education programs for struggling or underachieving youths. Aspen offers both short-term programs and longer-term private therapeutic residential programs with a variety of therapeutic interventions including wilderness therapy, weight loss programs and special learning and behavioral programs. Aspen Education Group is a division of CRC Health Group.
