Level of disrupted peer relations and poor self-esteem in children with behavior problems and the effectiveness of day treatment.

Children with disruptive behavior disorders often show deficits in peer relations and self-esteem, putting them at risk for later life psychiatric disorders. The prevalence of poor peer relations and low self-esteem in behavior-problem children, as well as the efficacy of an intensive day treatment program in addressing these deficits, was evaluated. Twenty-five normal-population (NP) children were matched sequentially by age and sex to 25 behavior-problem (BP) children who received day treatment. Groups were compared on measures of self-esteem and peer relations. Pre-/posttreatment comparisons were made for the BP group on the same variables. Mann-Withney U tests showed that the BP group had significantly more problems in self-esteem and peer relations than the NP group. Their scores significantly improved with day treatment and were no longer different from those of the control group. The study indicates that children with behavior disorders present with more problems in peer relations and self-esteem. Intensive multimodal day treatment is an efficient approach for treating these difficulties.