Self-destructive and aggressive adolescents who had received residential treatment were followed up after discharge to the community. Severity of acting out prior to treatment or during residential treatment was not predictive of follow-up status. Frequency of early separations from parents and the age at which they occurred during thefirst six years was found to be related to outcome after treatment. Disruptions of parenting during the first year in particular were predictive of an inability to profit from treatment. A relationship between age at separation from the parent and type of acting out is also suggested.
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