AIMS AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN MULTIMODAL TREATMENT STUDIES

The paper outlines the growing acceptance and use of multimodal treatm ent approaches to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders in childhoo d and adolescence. It then explores some of the problems of multimodal treatment studies. Problems in assessing outcome of efficacy of the i nterventions, particularly as they pertain to specific interventions a nd particular areas of functioning are discussed as well as the issues of appropriate control and comparison groups. The problems with regar d to appropriate control and comparison groups are explored with respe ct to diagnosis and interventions. Finally, an ongoing multimodal trea tment study of children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder is used to illustrate how some of the problems described can be solved.