The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Internalizing Problems of Children With Externalizing Disorders

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on internalizing problems of children with externalizing disorders Methods: It was an experimental study with a pre-test/post-test control group design. Among the students of elementary schools of Tehran City, Iran, 90 boys were selected based on the mothers' report and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by convenience sampling method. Fifty students whose scores equaled 63 or higher in the externalizing scale were diagnosed as individuals with externalizing disorders. Afterward, 32 individuals who acquired T-score ≥ 60 were assigned randomly in the experimental and control groups (each with 16 students). The experimental group was divided into two subgroups (8 individuals in each subgroup) and participated in 16 cognitive-behavior therapy (Coping Cat program) sessions (1 hour, twice a week). The control group received only the mainstream Program of the school. After the last session, their mothers completed the CBCL again. The obtained data were analyzed by Oneway Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The results of One-way ANCOVA showed that the internalizing problems, i.e. withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, and anxious/depressed symptoms of the experimental group have reduced significantly after participating in the cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions. Discussion: Cognitive behavioral therapy (Coping Cat Program) is an effective method for reducing internalizing problems of children with externalizing disorders. Therefore, the program can be used to prevent the negative consequences of internalizing problems such as poor academic performance and social adaptation of the students with externalizing disorders.