Behavioral Health Intervention Services - Essay Example

Executive Summary

Treatment can assist troubled children and families in addressing behaviors, functioning issues, and emotions in their lives. Children are more susceptible to develop severe psychological health challenges later in life when their early behavioral problems are not treated. Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) at an early age helps identify behavioral problems and provide mental health interventions in schools where all children in need can access them. This pilot research examines the effectiveness of BHIS, with fifty-four preschoolers identified to have high levels of disruptive behaviors. Results from a 2 x 3 split-plot analysis of variance show that according to teachers, children who participate in BHIS programs demonstrate a substantial decrease in disruptive behaviors than those who do not participate in them. Of the twenty-seven children participating in BHIS, twenty-one of them improved following treatment, thus establishing the importance of BHIS as early mental health interventions for children in head start programs.

Introduction

Mental health needs for children continue to be underserved despite government calling for action in the care of the nation's youth over the past decade. More than three third of children in the U.S do not receive treatment of mental distress or disruptions they need (Reiter & Hunter, 2018). Notably, there is a significant increase in preschool children showing substantial disruptive behaviors. Young children who live in poverty even have a greater urgency of intervention as they are more likely to face risk factors that threaten their future academic success and socioemotional development. For better lives for children, the community of 45th Street, Des Moines Iowa are committed to offering a BHIS program for Bergman preschoolers who needs it (Wallerstein & Minkler, 2017). With qualified Licensed Practitioners of the Healing Arts (LPHA) available to evaluate the need for BHIS, Families of 45th street are prepared to offer critical services to children who exhibit disruptive behaviour. The purpose of this pilot research is to examine the effects of BHIS program with preschool children showing disruptive behavior in classrooms. The study addresses one primary research question; is there a mean reduction in children's disruptive behavior over time for those who participate in BHIS compared with those who do not participate in these programs.

Literature Review

Disruptive Behaviors

Disruptive behaviors comprise of externalized behavior problems like destruction of property, noncompliance, aggression, hyperactivity, distractibility, and attention problems. These behaviors are the reason for counselor referrals from teachers (Wallerstein & Minkler, 2017). These behaviour interfere with teacher’s ability to teach and students' ability to learn and are among the most challenging things for them. Disruptive behaviors in early childhood often negatively impact children's personal and academic success (Reiter & Hunter, 2018). The relationship between difficulties in emotional and social development, and disruptive behavior in childhood is well documented. For instance, students who portray disruptive behaviors have difficult times building positive relationships with peers and teachers hence reducing opportunities to learn social skills like intimacy and cooperation (Holland & Peacock, 2017). The link between negative long-lasting consequences and disruptive behavior challenges in young children and adults makes BHIS interventions crucial.

Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS)

Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) are voluntary services that offers and support tools to families, groups, individuals, and children to create supportive environments. Sometimes to deal with children behavioral and emotional issues takes more than office visits (Sigaud & Toriyama, 2017). These services offer support to help people work through real-life solutions for dealing with conflicts, behavioral issues, and coordinated decisions. BHIS services provide direction, and support, to clients to feel safe. These services are designed for adults or children experiencing emotional, behavioral, or social problems intending to assist them and their families manage self-control and behavior issues.

Method

A random group research strategy is used to examine the effects of BHIS on preschoolers’ disruptive behavior over three points of measure. The experimental group received BHIS programs and the active control group received reading mentoring (RM). Participants are low income Bergman preschool children. A child participates after receiving parents and teacher’s approval, and following the school's procedures for referring children to therapy (Vasileva & Petermann, 2018). Classroom teachers identify children showing disruptive behaviors like hyperactivity, conduct problems, aggression, and attention problems. Fifty-four participants finish the research, twenty-seven being experimental group and the other half being active control group. Children are three and four years of age.

An Externalizing score known as the C-TRF is used to measure disruptive behavior. The C-TRF is a teacher-report measure of child behavior challenges in children one and five years of age. It provides scores for three domains; Internalizing, externalizing, and total Problems (Alegría & McPeck, 2016).The C-TRF uses a scale of three points of frequency on 100 items to indicate the presence of emotional and behavioral symptoms. Improvement is indicated by a decrease in score. The overall mean test-retest score for the C-TRF is established at 81 (Reiter & Hunter, 2018). Estimates for domain scores are as follows: internalizing; r = 77; External; r = .89, and Total Problems; r = 88). To ensure effective data collection, teachers filled out the C-TRF form in an area free from distraction. After ensuring data met the assumptions, a 2 by 3 split plot ANOVA is performed on the dependent variable. C-TRF Externalizing to determine if the BHIS group performed differently from the group that did not receive BHIS program. An alpha level of 0.05 was established.

Results

Table 1 presents the posttest means and SD values for the experimental and normal group on the C-TRF scale (p<0.001).

Experimental group

Normal group

Posttest

Posttest

External Challenges Mean

58.33

62.96

External Challenges SD

6.49

4.77

Aggressive behavior Mean

58.48

61.77

Aggressive behavior SD

6.34

5.54

Attention Challenges Mean

58.44

61.59

Attention Challenges SD

8.12

6.97

These results show that according to teachers, children who underwent through the BHIS program (27 participants) demonstrated a substantial decrease in disruptive behavior challenges in the classrooms overtime, compared with those who did not receive (27 participants). The interaction effect indicates that experimental group demonstrated a large treatment impact on preschooler’s disruptive behaviors. After analyzing the children's scores on the C-TRF scale, results showed a clinical importance of BHIS on children's behavior individually (Vasileva & Petermann, 2018). Out of the twenty-seven children who received BHIS, twenty-one of them improved from disruptive behavior challenges to more normal levels of functioning. Particularly, seven children who had a high range in these behaviour at pretest showed normal range at the end of the program (Sigaud & Toriyama, 2017). Furthermore, out of the 27 children in the normal group, only five children showed, eighteen stayed the same, and four of them behavior worsened.

Discussion/Recommendations

The study’s findings support BHIS program as a responsive early psychological health intervention to reduce children's disruptive behaviors in classrooms. Disruptive behavior problems in young children tend to worsen or remain constant over time without treatment (Alegría & McPeck, 2016) These behaviour are associated with more severe problems like violence, drug abuse and antisocial personality disorders (Sigaud & Toriyama, 2017). Besides, children's externalized problems are related to difficulties in social relationships with people, and lower academic performance. Children attending schools are at risk for mental health conditions of untreated disruptive behaviors due to additional factors related to poverty or exposure to violence.

There is widespread agreement concerning the need for early mental health intervention. However, the few interventions targeting disruptive behavior challenges in preschools require full parent involvement (Vasileva & Petermann, 2018). Although it is always desirable, it is challenging to involve parents in young children's treatment. The findings from this study provide support for BHIS programs as an effective intervention for disruptive behaviors in classrooms. BHIS are responsive interventions that re based on healing and self-directed growth. Children are provided play materials that allow for them to express their emotions within the safety of the therapeutic relationship to develop self-control.

Conclusion

BHIS are culturally and developmentally responsive interventions that has been applied successfully with children in the elementary schools. As far as we know, the present study is the first controlled outcome study to investigate the effects of CCPT on disruptive behavior problems in a preschool setting. Results of the study indicate that BHIS programs are effective in reducing disruptive behavior challenges and it can be effectively delivered in a preschool where under-served children can easily access treatment. Moreover, when parental involvement is not possible, it can be used as an intervention that can be used by school psychology health personnel. These results further suggest that BHIS have the potential to interrupt the negative route related with disruptive behaviors in early childhood hence; preventing the development of more serious impairment. These findings suggest for preschools to consider employing mental health professionals trained in BHIS interventions to ensure children have equal opportunity for social, personal, and academic success.