Psychosocial Interventions for Disruptive Behavior in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: CONTEXT: In childhood and adolescence, disruptive behavior is a common reason for childhood referral to mental health services. OBJECTIVE: To determine the most effective psychosocial interventions for disruptive behavior in children and adolescents. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched from 2014 to July 22, 2024. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials comparing psychosocial interventions with treatment as usual or waitlist. DATA EXTRACTION: Data abstraction, risk of bias, and strength of evidence were completed by 1 reviewer and checked by a second reviewer; disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: Sixty-four RCTs in preschool and school-aged children were included in meta-analyses. An additional 20 trials in adolescents were included but could not be pooled. Based on meta-analyses, both parent-only interventions and multicomponent interventions that included a parent, caregiver, or teacher plus a child were associated with reductions in disruptive behavior in preschool (SMD, -0.61 [95% CI, -0.99 to -0.31] and SMD, -0.96 [95% CI, -1.39 to -0.60]) and school-aged (SMD, -0.39 [95% CI, -0.58 to -0.22] and SMD, -0.61 [95% CI, -1.05 to -0.20]) children when assessed immediately posttreatment. Results were less consistent with longer follow-up across interventions. LIMITATIONS: There was substantial heterogeneity across age groups regarding interventions and outcomes, which made drawing definitive conclusions challenging. CONCLUSIONS: Multicomponent psychosocial interventions and parent-only psychosocial interventions were better than treatment as usual or waitlist at reducing parent-reported disruptive behaviors for preschool and school-aged children immediately posttreatment. Evidence for long-term outcomes and studies conducted in adolescents was limited.
Source: PEDIATRICS
Institution: Oregon Health & Science University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7123349150