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A meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of symptoms of over‐arousal and comparing effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thirty‐two effect sizes from randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis. Findings were mixed, indicating that EMDR was more effective than alternative viable treatments in the treatment of over‐arousal, but that true effect may range from 210% of a standard deviation favoring EMDR to 66% of a standard deviation favoring alternative viable treatments. No statistically significant differences for effectiveness were noted in the use of EMDR when treating anxiety versus trauma. Our findings indicate that on average, EMDR may be beneficial, but there is an equivalent chance that future applications with similar samples could result in findings regarded as considerably or categorically ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate therapeutic progress for adolescent males in residential treatment for substance use and compare their perspective of treatment progress with their counselor's measures of therapeutic progress. Participants in this study were from a residential treatment facility for adolescent males (n = 13) with substance use problems and their respective counselors (n = 2). Improvement in areas of problem severity and coping were observed by both adolescents and counselors; limited progress was noted in commitment to follow‐up. Large discrepancies between adolescent clients and counselors related to therapeutic progress were found, with adolescent clients identifying much higher progress in problem severity, coping, and commitment to follow‐up than their counselors. Therapeutic gains for adolescent males in residential treatment for substance use might be small. Large differences may be apparent in how adolescent, male clients perceive their progress compared to how their counselors perceive client progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research related to adolescents in residential treatment for substance use is limited. Evaluations identifying treatment progress across frequent, multiple time points are scant. In this study 20 adolescent males (age M = 16.46, SD = 1.04) in residential treatment for substance use completed self-report inventories related to working alliance, problem severity, well-being, and crisis stabilization across 10 weeks. Small, statistically significant reductions in problem severity and improved well-being were noted. No statistically significant changes were noted with measures of the working alliance, well-being, and crisis stabilization, with small to medium effect sizes and unimproved conditions with no clinical significance. Therapeutic gains were evident for adolescent males working through issues related to chronic substance abuse in residential treatment, as indicated by a statistically significant reduction in problem severity with a moderate effect and slight improvement with limited clinical significance. The working alliance appeared to have some influence on treatment gains. This study represents an evaluation from a single site to help illuminate the challenges of residential treatment for substance use and potential perceptions of adolescent males in this level of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]