Social skills training and play group intervention for children with oppositional-defiant disorders/conduct disorder: Mediating mechanisms in a head-to-head comparison. (30th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Katzmann, Josepha; Goertz-Dorten, Anja; Hautmann, Christopher; Doepfner, Manfred
• Is Part Of: Psychotherapy research. Volume 29:Number 6(2019)
• Page Start: 784
• Page End: 798
• Publication Date: 2019-09-30
• Subjects: child psychotherapy -- cognitive behavior therapy -- outcome research -- process research; psicoterapia infantile -- terapia cognitivo comportamentale -- ricerca sugli esiti -- ricerca sul processo; psicoterapia infantil -- terapia comportamental cognitiva -- pesquisa de resultados -- pesquisa de processo; 兒童心理治療 -- 認知行為治療 -- 成效研究 -- 歷程研究; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Research -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychothérapie -- Périodiques; Psychothérapie -- Recherche -- Périodiques; 616.891405
• DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2018.1425559
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-3307

Abstract

Abstract: Objective : Social-cognitive information processing, social skills, and social interactions are problem-maintaining variables for aggressive behavior in children. We hypothesized that these factors may be possible mediators of the mechanism of change in the child-centered treatment of conduct disorders (CDs). The aim of the present study (Clinical trials.gov Identifier: NCT01406067) was to examine putative mechanisms of change for the decrease in oppositional-defiant behavior resulting from child-centered treatment of patients with oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) or CD. Method : 91 children (age 6–12 years) with ODD/CD were randomized to receive either social skills training or to a resource activating play group. Mediator analyses were conducted using path analyses. Results : The assumed mediating effects were not significant. However, alternative models with the putative mediators and outcome in reversed positions showed significant indirect effects of the oppositional-defiant symptoms as mediator for the decrease of disturbance of social-information processing, social skills, and social interactions. Conclusions : The proposed model for mechanisms of change could not be confirmed, with the results pointing to a reversed causality. Variables other than those hypothesized must be responsible for mediating the effects of the intervention on child oppositional-defiant behavior. Possible mechanisms of change were discussed.