A clinical trial of motivation-adaptive skills-trauma resolution (MASTR) therapy with conduct disordered adolescent boys

Conduct disorder and other disruptive behaviours represent the most common form of child and adolescent psychopathology referred for treatment by parents and teachers. A number of studies conducted in university research centers have demonstrated meaningful treatment gains especially with preadolescents with conduct disorder. However, studies conducted with older adolescents, especially those with comorbid disorders, as well as studies conducted in community-based clinic settings have been mostly unsuccessful. With a few exceptions, the extant treatments have not made any special effort to address effects of traumatic experiences that research has demonstrated to be very prevalent among conduct disordered children and adolescents. Motivation-Adaptive Skills-Trauma Resolution (MASTR) therapy developed by Ricky Greenwald (2002a) has shown promising results in his open trial study. MASTR is a complex treatment approach which addresses several key areas crucial in treating adolescents with conduct disorder: development/enhancement of motivation for treatment, development/enhancement of anger management and problem solving skills, and treatment of past trauma effects. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of MASTR therapy with 10 adolescent boys with conduct disorder placed in a residential treatment facility. This study combined single subject and qualitative research methodologies to offer a detailed look into the implementation and evaluation of MASTR therapy in a residential treatment centre. Foremost, this study demonstrates the formidable problems of conducting treatment research with this population in this kind of setting. Results suggested that, when it can be sufficiently implemented, MASTR therapy may be an effective treatment method producing some meaningful changes in behaviour for some severely disturbed adolescents with conduct problem. The study also demonstrated that EMDR may be an effective treatment for reducing emotional distress associated with past trauma in adolescents with conduct disorder. Factors associated with the limited success of this treatment study are identified and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved)
Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences. 69(1-A), 2008, pp. 109.

Dissertation/Thesis

English

Miroslaw Grygo

Grygo, M. (2008). A clinical trial of motivation-adaptive skills-trauma resolution (MASTR) therapy with conduct disordered adolescent boys. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 69(1-A), 109