Effectiveness of a New Social / Cognitive Therapeutic Model for Aggressive Children
Subject Areas : روان درمانگریAli Sahebi 1 , Efat S. Mirabdollahi 2
1 - PhD Ferdowsi University & Sydney University
2 - Sydney University
Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, social cognitive therapy, aggressive conduct, somatic complains, Attention,
Abstract :
The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a new therapeutic model for aggressive children in Iran. The intervention was based on a social/cognitive model. 119 boys and 38 girls, ages 8-15 (M=10.77, S.D. = 1.33) participated in the study. Children were referred by the teachers of the selected schools, based on having one of the six aggressiveness criteria, and diagnosed with a symptom checklist based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. 31 children were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 19 with Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD), 47 with ADHD/ODD, 22 with ADHD/CD, and 38 with other types of diagnoses not mentioned above. All children were administered the Children Depression Inventory (CDI), the Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale (PHSCS), and The Youth Self-Report (YSR) as a pre and post-test measure of their conduct. The Bauermeister School Behaviour Inventory (BSBI) was completed by teachers as an additional measure. Children then were divided in five groups: 1- somatic complaints, 2- Anxiety depresssion, 3- social problems, 4- Attention problems, and 5- Aggressive conduct, and they all received eight sessions of social/cognitive therapy. The results suggest that the social/cognitive treatment was effective with all groups of children, regardless of diagnostic classification, in reducing somatic complaints, anxiety/ depression, social problems, attention problems, and aggressive conduct.