Kids Together Child and Adolescent Group Therapy Program: Evaluating a Therapeutic Change Process

This study examined the effectiveness of a group therapy intervention in reducing youth internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and examined the change process, identifying youth subgroup shifts pre to post -intervention. Demographic data were collected and the Child Behavior Checklist instrument was scored for 220 youth attending group between 1996-2012.;Results suggest Internalizing Problem Scores (t = 4.98 , df = 219, p = < .0001, d = .27), Externalizing Problem Scores (t = 3.73, df = 219, p = < .0001, d = .19) and Total Problem Scores (t = 4.91, df = 219, p = < .0001, d = .26) were significantly lower at post -intervention. Pre -intervention analysis determined a two class model was the model of best fit prior to intervention, while at post intervention a single class model was the model of best fit, indicating that there was less heterogeneity at post -intervention.