Differential response of operant self-injury to pharmacologic versus behavioral treatment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that self-injur ious behavior (SIB) maintained by environmental factors will be more effect ively treated by behavioral treatments than by haloperidol. Fifteen subject s were enrolled in this study. The efficacy of both haloperidol and a behav ioral treatment was assessed. At the onset of treatment, subjects were rand omized to receive either haloperidol or a placebo. During each day of treat ment, data were collected during sessions with a behavioral treatment and s essions without a behavioral treatment. Behavioral treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in SIE, but haloperidol did not. Eighty- three percent of subjects were classified as responders to the behavioral t reatment whereas only 25% of the subjects were responders to haloperidol (p = .019). We conclude that individuals with operant SIE are more likely to respond to behavioral treatments than to haloperidol.