72.2 EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL CARE

Abstract

There is a dearth of studies looking specifically at what works in the treatment of aggression in residential care settings. To address this shortcoming, a literature review was performed to identify evidence-based and best practices in the treatment of aggression specific to residential settings. Because aggression is not a diagnosis and most studies are designed to evaluate the treatment of specific conditions, the search included PubMed and PsycINFO databases using the following medical subject heading (MeSH) terms in order to identify potential studies for inclusion: aggression, residential, child and adolescent, management, prevent, externalizing, disruptive, bipolar, attention deficit, and impuls*. In addition to database searches and to maximize a focus on residential settings, a specific search was conducted of the Taylor & Francis publishing database to access articles in the Association of Children’s Residential Centers (ACRC) journal, Residential Treatment for Children & Youth. Finally, references of all papers that were found via the search were reviewed for additional citations. Reasons for exclusion included the following: not specific to children or adolescents, not using a specific intervention to treat aggression, and/or not in a residential setting. Only English language papers were included, although a number of studies were conducted in international residential care settings. Although many papers addressed the Six Core Strategies developed by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), there is a developing evidence base for specific interventions designed to treat aggression in residential care settings. Aggression is often a main reason for referral to residential care settings. Given the limited evidence-based interventions for the treatment of aggression in residential care settings, aggression is a diagnostic entity that deserves further study in the human services literature.