Abstract
The National Adolescent and Child Treatment Study (NACTS) was designed to study children identified and served by the public mental health and special education systems as seriously emotionally disturbed. Children (N=812) and their parents (N=740) participated in the first wave of data collection in this longitudinal study. Subjects lived in six states, with approximately half in psychiatric residential treatment centers and the other half in public school special education programs. A multi-method, multi-source methodology was employed. The sample is characterized by externalizing problems, poor adaptive functioning, and substantial academic deficits. Residential children were more likely to have blended families, were more likely to have previously received residential treatment, and had higher rates of conduct disorder, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder, as measured by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. The two groups did not differ on intelligence, age of onset, or rates of schizophrenia or depression. The data suggest the presence of greater at-risk factors in the residential group and different paths of entry into special education and residential treatment programs.
References
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1983).Manual for the child behavior checklist and revised child behavior profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1986).Manual for the teacher's report form and teacher version of the child behavior profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Brandenburg, N. A., Friedman, R. M., & Silver, S. E. (1990). The epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders: Prevalence findings from recent studies.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29 76–83.
Costello, A., Edelbrock, C., Kalas, R., Kessler, M., & Klaric, S. (1982).NIMH diagnostic interview schedule for children (DISC). Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health.
Curry, J. F. (1986, August).Outcome studies of psychiatric hospitalization and residential treatment of youth: Conceptual and research implications. Paper presented at the 94th Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
Duchnowski, A. J., & Friedman, R. M. (1990). Children's mental health: Challenges for the 90's.Journal of Mental Health Administration, 17 3–12.
Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, U.S.C. §1401 (1975).
Friedman, R. M. (1984).Application to the National Institute of Handicapped Research to establish a research and training center for improved services for seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute.
Friedman, R. M. (1986, May).Characteristics of children with serious emotional disturbances identified by public systems as requiring services. Paper presented at the National Institute of Mental Health's Conference on System Assessment and Treatment of Aggressive/Emotionally Disturbed Youth, Raleigh, NC.
Greenbaum, P. E., Prange, M. E., Friedman, R. M., & Silver, S. E. (1991). Substance abuse prevalence and comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders among adolescents with severe emotional disturbances.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30 575–583.
Herz, M. I., Endicott, J., Spitzer, R. L., & Mesnikoff, A. (1971). Day versus inpatient hospitalization: A controlled study.American Journal of Psychiatry, 127 1371–1382.
Institute of Medicine. (1989).Research on children and adolescents with mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders: Mobilizing a national initiative. National Academy Press: Washington, DC.
Jastak, S., & Wilkinson, G. S. (1984).The Wide Range Achievement Test — Revised administration manual. Wilmington, DE: Jastak Associates, Inc.
Kaplan, H. B., & Pokorny, A. D. (1969). Self-derogation and psychosocial adjustment.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 149 421–434.
Kauffman, J. M. (in press). Problems and promises in special education and related services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders.Behavioral Disorders.
Kavale, K. A., Forness, S. R., & Alper, A. E. (1986). Research in behavioral disorders and emotional disturbance: A survey of subject identification criteria.Behavioral Disorders, 11 159–167.
Knitzer, J., Steinberg, Z., & Fleisch, B. (1990).At the schoolhouse door. New York: Bank Street College of Education.
Links, P. S. (1983). Community surveys of the prevalence of childhood psychiatric disorders: A review.Child Development, 54 531–548.
National Advisory Mental Health Council. (1990).National plan for research on child and adolescent mental disorders. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health.
National Mental Health Association. (1989).Final report and recommendations of the invisible children project. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Olson, D. H., McCubbin, H. I., Barnes, H. L., Larsen, A. S., Muxen, M. J., & Wilson, M. A. (1983).Families: What makes them work. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Olson, D. H., Portner, J., & Lavee, Y. (1985).FACES III: Family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales. St. Paul: University of Minnesota, Family Social Science.
Prange, M. E., Greenbaum, P. E., Silver, S. E., Friedman, R. M., Kutash, K., & Duchnowski, A. J. (1992). Family functioning and psychopathology among adolescents with severe emotional disturbances.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 20 83–102.
Quay, H. C., & Peterson, D. R. (1987).Manual for the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami.
Rosenberg, M. (1965).Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Schaie, F. W. (1965). A general model for the study of developmental problems.Psychological Bulletin, 64 92–107.
Silver, S. E., Friedman, R. M., Quay, H. C., Brandenburg, N. A., Prange, M. E., & Greenbaum, P. E. (1990).Prevalence of DSM III disorders among children with serious emotional disturbance: Results of the national adolescent and child treatment study. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute.
Slosson, R. L. (1983).Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) and Oral Reading Test (SORT) for children and adults. East Aurora, NY: Slosson Education Publications, Inc.
Sparrow, S. S., Balla, D. A., & Cicchetti, D. V. (1984).Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: Interview edition. Survey form manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1985). Current Population Reports, P-60, No. 147,Characteristics of the population below the poverty level: 1983. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Congress, Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. (1987).U.S. children and their families: Current conditions and recent trends. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Department of Education. (1990).Twelfth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the education of the handicapped act. Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Office of Technology Assessment. (1986).Children's mental health: Problems and service—A background paper. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Verhulst, F. C., & Koot, H. M. (1991). Longitudinal research in child and adolescent psychiatry.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30 361–368.
Weithorn, L. A. (1988). Mental hospitalization of troublesome youth: An analysis of skyrocketing admission rates.Stanford Law Review, 40 773–838.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Silver, S.E., Duchnowski, A.J., Kutash, K. et al. A comparison of children with serious emotional disturbance served in residential and school settings. J Child Fam Stud 1, 43–59 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321341
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321341