The Effectiveness of Drug Treatment for Severe Behavior Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This investigation reviews 70 studies examining the efficacy of drug treatment for severe behavior disorders. Meta-analysis, the analysis of analyses, is the methodological procedure used to statistically integrate the findings from individual studies. General findings indicate a modest positive effect for drug intervention. In addition, subsets of data aggregating behavioral, cognitive, and physiological outcomes are examined. Finally, variation for drug effects in terms of subject characteristics and design variables are investigated. The generally positive findings suggest that drug treatment represents an important option for the treatment of severe behavior disorders.