Common Practice Elements in Treatment Programs for Adolescents with Externalizing and Internalizing Problems: A Meta-Analysis

There is a pressing need for effective interventions targeting mental disorders service-involved youth across child welfare, correctional and health residential settings. Identifying common practice elements (CPEs) promising direction toward developing effective, flexible, feasible therapeutic interventions. The aims of this study were: 1) to identify CPEs in treatment programs adolescents with internalizing and/or externalizing settings, 2) which are present versus all trials, 3) estimate whether the presence each CPE associated effects. A systematic search identified 24 trials adolescent symptoms, yielding 148 effect estimates. Discrete practices were coded into categories full sample. Eleven employed as moderators three-level meta-analyses. We found large significant moderator effects two on symptoms: Emotion recognition differentiation, Psychoeducation. No was significantly related outcomes. results illustrate difference between frequency association effect, favoring combination approaches. Psychoeducation should be prioritized novel behavior