[Differential results of treatment in pedagogic-therapeutic long-term intervention in residential treatment centers for children].

In a longitudinal evaluation study the developmental progress of 223 children, who have been treated between 1968 and 1987 in a residential facility for psychiatric care, was explored from referral until time of discharge. Initial state and state at discharge were defined multidimensionally according to MAS. Comparisons between children with different initial clinical diagnosis met expectations, that introversive disturbances recover more frequently than autistic as well as conduct disorders or hyperactivity. Associations between recovery and initial cognitive-intellectual state did not reach statistical significance, when type of disorder was controlled for. But rate of recovery appeared to be throughout higher for children with learning disabilities than for children without such deficits. Age at onset and age at referral were apparently rather irrelevant for the state at discharge. But rate of recovery was in general clearly reduced, when length of time between onset and referral had been above average. The relation between duration of treatment and state at discharge depended on the type of disorder. For children with conduct or autistic disorders the rate of recovery increased with longer duration of treatment, whereas for children with introversive disturbances the contrast was true. This could suggest confounding effects of severity of disorder. When the treatment in the facility had been precociously terminated, rate of recovery in general was remarkably lower than in case of a planned termination. Analysis on effects of alternative methods of treatment was only with restrictions possible and did not suggest a general or differential superiority of a special type of treatment.