Librarians are faced with the well-nigh impossible challenge of information storage and accessibility given the information explosion over the last generation. Hence, scholars can never be sure that they are conversant with most of the literature in their academic discipline.
Therefore, it seems pretty strange to me that in the field of residential management and treatment of children with major Axis I diagnoses, there is so little “how to” information around. It is certainly not due to public opinion not being in favor of government support of child welfare initiatives. Nor is the information dearth in residential management and treatment due to an absence of curiosity about children suffering from mental health disorders.
Why, then, is there so little information about “how to do,” especially with children residing in group homes, psychiatric community residences, and mental health hospitals?
In answering this question, it will be useful to invoke Professor Boettke regarding the fundamental difference between knowledge and information. But without delving into methodological discussions, it seems as though it is more satisfying for social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals of all stripes to simply describe behavior, and create “treatment plans,” rather than detail “how to” ameliorate the behaviors concomitant with major Axis I diagnoses.
Who really knows how to ameliorate the behaviors of pathologically angry children?
Brian A. Pitt
…it seems as though it is more satisfying for social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals of all stripes to simply describe behavior, and create “treatment plans,” rather than detail “how to” ameliorate the behaviors concomitant with major Axis I diagnoses.
For someone not familiar with this area, like myself, I’m not sure what the difference is.
Dain,
Mental health professionals do a good job of diagnosing and describing the behavior of children presenting with severe emotional and behavioral problems. However, they have failed at apprising parents “how to” improve their child’s problematic behavior.
For example, it is one thing for a mental health professional to state this is what your child is diagnosed with, and these are the problematic behaviors that are symptomatic of this diagnosis. It is quite another thing to state this is what your child is diagnosed with, these are the problematic behaviors that are symptomatic of this diagnosis, and thirdly, this is “how to” improve your child’s behavior.
I think the problem is that mental health professionals cannot resort to ceteris paribus arguments like us. In my experience, the parents were often times the reason for the child’s disfunctional behavior. Therefore, it was almost pointless for us to say “If you do this then things will improve” because there was zero expectation the parents would follow through. It is sometimes unfortunate that children are “embedded” in certain family structures. I think this is why social workers are reluctant to pull children out of the home as well.
Excellent point Josh. Thanks for the feedback.