STRENGTH-FOCUSED TREATMENT AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Date
2024
Authors
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Narrator
Transcriber
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
Purpose. Research suggests focusing on strengths in therapy is associated with positive outcomes and might increase the efficacy of various evidence-based treatments. However, there is limited research on the use of strength-focused treatment in youth clinical populations. This program of research examined whether and to what extent therapeutic focus on strengths was associated with relevant treatment outcomes for youth receiving public mental health care (PMHC) services. Included herein is an introductory chapter, three studies in manuscript format, and an overall conclusion. Method. Hierarchical modeling was used to examine archival clinical data collected between 2006-2018 from two treatment formats in a state-wide youth PMHC system. Therapeutic focus on strengths was measured as a proportion of overall treatment targets endorsed by therapists that were strength-based (strength proportion [SP]). Results. Study 1 found greater SP was significantly associated with increased likelihood of successful treatment discharge in a sample of youth (N = 1,841) receiving standards-based intensive-in-home services. More broadly sampling the dataset available from Study 1, Study 2 (N = 2,362) found greater SP was significantly associated with better end of treatment functioning, and higher monthly treatment progress. Finally, results from Study 3 replicated findings from Study 1 and Study 2 in a sample of youth (N = 911) receiving Multisystemic Therapy, an implemented evidence-based intensive-in-home treatment. Study 3 found significant associations in the predicted directions between greater SP and all three previously studied outcomes. Conclusions. Findings from this program of research extended the strengths intervention literature to include youth with significant mental health challenges. If replicated and then extended into experimental designed studies, these results suggest that youth in PMHC might benefit when therapists incorporate strength-focused treatment strategies.
Description
Keywords
Clinical psychology, clinical outcomes, public mental health, strengths, youth
Citation
Extent
181 pages
Format
Geographic Location
Time Period
Related To
Related To (URI)
Table of Contents
Rights
All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Collections
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.