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Interpersonal Skills Group – Corrections Modified for Detained Juvenile Offenders with Externalizing Disorders: A Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial

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2016, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
The symptoms and correlates of externalizing disorders place youth with those disorders at-risk for criminal offending. Indeed, externalizing disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders among detained juvenile offenders. Thus, effective treatments, that are appropriate for both the population and for delivery in juvenile detention, are needed. Yet, the state of the pertinent science is in its early stages and with limitations. Some limitations are methodological and some are clinical. Of import, the tested treatments do not systematically and simultaneously target emotion dysregulation and social impairment, despite basic findings indicating that both are associated with externalizing disorders and confer risk for criminal offending. To begin addressing these limitations, the purpose of the current study was to examine participant satisfaction with the Interpersonal Skills Group — Corrections Modified (ISG-CM) as well as the preliminary effectiveness of ISG-CM, in a controlled trial conducted at a juvenile detention facility and using multi-method and multi-informant measurement. Twelve detained juvenile offender youth (100% male; Mage = 16.30, SDage = 1.16) participated. Results indicated that youth found the treatment highly satisfactory and that they found each of three treatment elements likeable and beneficial/helpful. Contrary to expectations, results were mixed with regard to changes in emotion regulation and social functioning. In line with expectations, ISG-CM, relative to no treatment, was associated with either an attenuation of an increase in or with a decrease in self- and staff-rated verbal aggression, staff-rated aggression against property, and self-rated anger, across analyses. When in ISG-CM, relative to when not in treatment, youth also exhibited an increase in daily behavior points and those in in ISG-CM had fewer unsuccessful days in this domain than those not in treatment. Taken together, these results indicated that ISG-CM may be a promising approach to the psychosocial treatment of detained juvenile offenders with externalizing disorders. Clinical and methodological implications as well as testable hypotheses for future research on treatments for detained juvenile offenders are discussed.
Steven Evans, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Zoccola Peggy, Dr. (Committee Member)
Julie Owens, Dr. (Committee Member)
Julie Suhr, Dr. (Committee Member)
Gillian Ice, Dr. (Committee Member)
142 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bunford, N. (2016). Interpersonal Skills Group – Corrections Modified for Detained Juvenile Offenders with Externalizing Disorders: A Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1458826572

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bunford, Nora. Interpersonal Skills Group – Corrections Modified for Detained Juvenile Offenders with Externalizing Disorders: A Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial. 2016. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1458826572.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bunford, Nora. "Interpersonal Skills Group – Corrections Modified for Detained Juvenile Offenders with Externalizing Disorders: A Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1458826572

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)