ENHANCING GENERALIZATION OF A CONTINGENCY-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION THROUGH THE USE OF FAMILY PROBLEM-SOLVING TRAINING - EVALUATION WITH A SEVERELY CONDUCT-DISORDERED ADOLESCENT
Dw. Nangle et al., ENHANCING GENERALIZATION OF A CONTINGENCY-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION THROUGH THE USE OF FAMILY PROBLEM-SOLVING TRAINING - EVALUATION WITH A SEVERELY CONDUCT-DISORDERED ADOLESCENT, Child & family behavior therapy, 16(2), 1994, pp. 65-76
The present case study reports the combined use of contingency-managem
ent and family problem-solving training (FPST) procedures in the treat
ment of an adolescent with severe conduct disorder. Despite clear beha
vioral improvements resulting from contingency-management procedures,
the parents became increasingly frustrated with the adolescent and ter
minated services briefly. The subsequent addition of FPST resulted in
additional improvements in behavior and improved interactions between
the adolescent, parents and siblings. The family became more active in
treatment and the focus of treatment moved away from ''adolescent's p
roblems'' to the problems of the family. Evidence of the maintenance a
nd generalization of FPST could be found in the family's spontaneous u
se of the procedures during the week. This led to increased opportunit
ies for compliance and rewards for prosocial behaviors not included on
the point system and the family's continued use of the procedures thr
oughout a crisis period involving the adolescent's disturbed behavior.
Limitations of FPST are discussed, as well as suggestions for future
treatment research with severely conduct-disordered adolescents.