Long term outcome of an attachment-based program for conduct disorder

Assessed the impact of a community-based program for youths with conduct disordered behavior and reveiwed the effectiveness of the program for 203 participating youths (aged 10–17 yrs) at 6, 12, and 18 mo postdischarge. The response program is based on the view that attachment issues are central in understanding and providing care for youths with conduct disorder. The program begins with a 30-day residential stay during which a multidisciplinary team works with the youth and the community to come to a full understanding of the developmental and family history of the youth, the nature of the youth's problems, and the functioning of the immediate and wider social community. The Ontario Child Health Study Scales were used to evaluate and monitor presence and severity of symptoms. Caretakers reported significantly reduced levels of conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at all follow-up intervals.