Twenty-three consecutive admissions to a psychodynamically oriented day treatment program were assessed using a pre-/post-test design. Discharge scores revealed a significant improvement on all standardized scales for behaviour (p < .0001), academics (p < .05), personality measures (p < . 0001) and family measures (p < .05). Parents reported a significantly greater behavioural improvement than both teachers and primary therapists (p < .0001). Although all children showed improvement, parents reported significantly lower improvement rates (p < 0.05) for children with conduct disorder compared with attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and depression. Teachers found that younger boys (aged six to nine) showed a significantly greater improvement (p < .05) than older boys (aged ten to 12) in total behaviour score and externalizing subscores of the Revised Child Behavior Profile. At discharge 87% of children were reintegrated into regular school; only 17% were attending regular school at admission.
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