(PS12-C55) Internalizing Problems in Residential Treatment Programs for Youth and Young Adults: A Meta-analysis of Treatment Effectiveness

Residential treatment programs for youth and young adults have long been an option for individuals who require treatment more intensive than outpatient treatment but less intense than would be provided by hospitalization. Residential treatment provides 24-hour care in a structured environment, offering a variety of therapeutic interventions to address specific mental health and behavioral disorders. Although it is a commonly used option, it is still approached with hesitancy as there is a lack of sufficient research establishing its effectiveness. Previous studies on residential treatment have also largely focused on addressing externalizing disorders, which are commonly characterized by disruptive behaviors and overt symptoms. Internalizing disorders, on the contrary, are often overlooked, resulting in fewer studies focused on them. Given that internalizing disorders are associated with significant distress and long-term health problems, it is imperative to establish the effectiveness of their current treatments.  This meta-analysis aims to fill this gap by focusing on the effectiveness of residential treatment programs for internalizing disorders, specifically depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

A previous meta-analysis (Knorth et al., 2008) gathered data from studies conducted from 1990 to 2005 to evaluate residential treatment outcomes for a broad range of disorders in youth and young adults from 0 to 23 years of age. For the current study, we identified articles published from 2001 to 2023, obtained from Psych Info, Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection, PubMed, ERIC, and Medline Complete as sources. Studies were included if they were conducted in the United States and reported outcome measures of internalizing symptoms from participants between 11 and 25 years of age. If our hypotheses are confirmed, this meta-analysis will provide updated evidence demonstrating the continued effectiveness of residential treatment programs for youth and young adults with internalizing disorders.