An Empirical Typology of Children with Severe Emotional Disturbances.

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that used cluster analysis to identify groups/clusters of children (n=158) with severe emotional disturbances receiving services at a rural, mental health center in Southeastern Ohio. Extensive data were gathered at intake that included information regarding child and family characteristics and the child's presenting problem. Within this large amount of data, numerous "yes" or "no" survey questions for the parent or guardian of a child were used to assess risk factors. Eight questions were selected due to their perceived salience in predicting subsequent child functioning and mental health service utilization. The selected questions asked if the child had ever been arrested, hospitalized for psychiatric purposes, sexually abused, or physically abused. Questions also asked whether a child had been a sex perpetrator, run away from home, used drugs or alcohol, or attempted suicide. Five groups of children were identified using the eight risk factors present at intake. The groups were labeled physically abused, high runaway risk, high delinquent risk, low risk, and sexually abused. Not only were the groups different in terms of their initial risk factor presentation, but also groups differed in terms of their level of functioning. (CR)