Outcome studies have shown that treatment does not work if administered too late. Preventing Childhood Disorders, Substance Abuse, and Delinquency presents the newest research on the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs with children, from birth to adolescence. The contributors to this volume examine the theory and practice of leading programs designed to prevent social and behavioral problems–including violence and substance abuse–in children and adolescents. The innovative programs analyzed here focus on social skills training for children with conduct disorders, anger coping group work for aggressive children, parent training programs, life skills training for substance abuse prevention, and programs for high-risk youth and rural populations. All designed to intervene before the onset of disorders or to deal effectively with problems when they first appear, many of the programs also emphasize strengthening family, school, and community involvement for successful risk reduction. Clinical psychologists and human services professionals who work with children and youths will find Preventing Childhood Disorders, Substance Abuse, and Delinquency illuminating. This book also will be of interest to policy makers who are looking for more effective and efficient interventions to child and adolescent problems.

The State of Prevention and Early Intervention

The State of Prevention and Early Intervention

The state of prevention and early intervention
DavidR.Offord

The overriding characteristic of children's emotional and behavioral problems is their heavy burden of suffering. When DSM-III criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 1980) were employed, the prevalence rates of one or more psychiatric disorders in five community samples varied between 17.6% and 22.0% (Costello, 1989). The age ranges of the children and adolescents included in these surveys also varied, with two studies including children as young as 4 years old (Bird et al., 1988; Offord et al., 1987) and one including adolescents as old as 20 years old (Velez, Johnson, & Cohen, 1989). Sources of the variability of the prevalence rates in these surveys include the characteristics of the target sample, the sampling ...

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