Testing Robustness of Child STEPs Effects with Children and Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial.

A critical task in psychotherapy research is identifying the conditions within which treatment benefits can be replicated and outside of which those benefits are reduced. We tested the robustness of beneficial effects found in two previous trials of the modular Child STEPs treatment program for youth anxiety, depression, trauma, and conduct problems. We conducted a randomized trial, with two significant methodological changes from previous trials: (a) shifting from cluster- to person-level randomization, and (b) shifting from individual to more clinically feasible group-based consultation with STEPs therapists. Fifty community clinicians from multiple outpatient clinics were randomly assigned to receive training and consultation in STEPs (n= 25) or to provide usual care (UC; n= 25). There were 156 referred youths-ages 6-16 (M= 10.52, SD = 2.53); 48.1% male; 79.5% Caucasian, 12.8% multiracial, 4.5% Black, 1.9% Latino, 1.3% Other-who were randomized to STEPs (n= 77) or UC (n= 79). Following previous STEPs trials, outcome measures included parent- and youth-reported internalizing, externalizing, total, and idiographic top problems, with repeated measures collected weekly during treatment and longer term over 2 years. Participants in both groups showed statistically significant improvement on all measures, leading to clinically meaningful problem reductions. However, in contrast to previous trials, STEPs was not superior to UC on any measure. As with virtually all treatments, the benefits of STEPs may depend on the conditions-for example, of study design and implementation support-in which it is tested. Identifying those conditions may help guide appropriate use of STEPs, and other treatments, in the future.

When the torch is passed, does the flame still burn? Testing a "train the supervisor" model for the Child STEPs treatment program.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed sustainability of an empirically supported, transdiagnostic youth psychotherapy program when therapist supervision was shifted from external experts to internal clinic staff. METHOD: One hundred sixty-eight youths, aged 6-15 years, 59.5% male, 85.1% Caucasian, were treated for anxiety, depression, traumatic stress, or conduct problems by clinicians employed in community mental health clinics. In Phase 1 (2.7 years), 1 group of clinicians, the Sustain group, received training in Child STEPs (a modular transdiagnostic treatment + weekly feedback on youth response) and treated clinic-referred youths, guided by weekly supervision from external STEPs experts. In Phase 2 (2.9 years), Sustain clinicians treated additional youths but with supervision by clinic staff who had been trained to supervise STEPs. Also in Phase 2, a new group, External Supervision clinicians, received training and supervision from external STEPs experts and treated referred youths. Phase 2 youths were randomized to Sustain or External Supervision clinicians. Groups were compared on 3 therapist fidelity measures and 14 clinical outcome measures. RESULTS: Sustain clinicians maintained their previous levels of fidelity and youth outcomes after switching from external to internal supervision; and in Phase 2, the Sustain and External Supervision groups also did not differ on fidelity or youth outcomes. Whereas all 34 group comparisons were nonsignificant, trends with the largest effect sizes showed better clinical outcomes for internal than external supervision. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of empirically supported transdiagnostic treatment may be sustained when supervision is transferred from external experts to trained clinic staff, potentially enhancing cost-effectiveness and staying power in clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record

Using Family-Based Exposure With Response Prevention to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Young Children: A Case Study.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) using exposure with response prevention (ERP) is the treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, developmental modifications should be considered when treating young children. This article presents a case study illustrating family-based CBT using ERP with a 7-year-old boy. The delivery of ERP for this case was guided by 3 main principles: (a) family involvement with a focus on reducing family accommodation, (b) understanding the functional relation between the client's obsessions and compulsions, and (c) creating conditions to facilitate habituation during exposure. Outcomes for this case indicate significant improvement in functioning and OCD symptoms. Results highlight the importance of family involvement and the applicability of using a function-based habituation framework when delivering ERP to this unique population.

Evidence-based youth psychotherapy in the mental health ecosystem.

Five decades of randomized trials research have produced dozens of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for youths. The EBPs produce respectable effects in traditional efficacy trials, but the effects shrink markedly when EBPs are tested in practice contexts with clinically referred youths and compared to usual clinical care. We considered why this might be the case. We examined relevant research literature and drew examples from our own research in practice settings. One reason for the falloff in EBP effects may be that so little youth treatment research has been done in the context of everyday practice. Researchers may have missed opportunities to learn how to make EBPs work well in the actual youth mental health ecosystem, in which so many real-world factors are at play that cannot be controlled experimentally. We sketch components and characteristics of that ecosystem, including clinically referred youths, their caregivers and families, the practitioners who provide their care, the organizations within which care is provided, the network of youth service systems (e.g., child welfare, education), and the policy context (e.g., reimbursement regulations and incentives). We suggest six strategies for future research on EBPs within the youth mental health ecosystem, including reliance on the deployment-focused model of development and testing, testing the mettle of current EBPs in everyday practice contexts, using the heuristic potential of usual care, testing restructured and integrative adaptations of EBPs, studying the use of treatment response feedback to guide clinical care, and testing models of the relation between policy change and EBP implementation.

Kernels vs. Ears, and Other Questions for a Science of Treatment Dissemination.

Combining intervention diffusion with change in clinical practice and public policy is an ambitious agenda. The impressive effort in Hawaii can be instructive, highlighting questions for a science of treatment dissemination. Among these questions, some of the most important are the following: (a) Who should be targeted for change? (e.g., "downstream" clinicians in practice, "upstream" clinicians in training, consumers, "brokers," policy makers, or payers?); (b) What should be disseminated? (e.g., full evidence-based protocols, specific treatment elements or "kernels"?); and (c) Which procedures maximize change? (e.g., what combination and duration of teaching, supervision, consultation, and other support?). Ultimately, change efforts need to assess what aspects of practice were actually altered, what measurable impact the changes had on clinical outcomes, and what changes in practices and outcomes can be sustained over time.