NATIONAL ADOLESCENT AND CHILD TREATMENT STUDY (NACTS) - OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCE

The specific purpose of the study was to compile descriptive data on c hildren with serious emotional disturbance (SED), including (a) demogr aphic and family characteristics, (b) level of psychological and adapt ive functioning, (c) services received, and (d) outcomes or how the ch ildren fared over time. The sample consisted of 812 children, ages 8 t o 18 years (M = 13.89 gears, SD = 2.35), who had been identified as ha ving SED and were being served by either mental health (46%) or public school (54%) systems in accordance with P.L. 94-142. Data were collec ted annually during a 7-year period. Results indicated that, at entry into the study, the children already had serious problems in many doma ins and the problems remained serious for these children at the end of the study.