Analyzing Effectiveness and Costs of Behavior Therapy Research

This assignment analyzes a research study that examines the effectiveness and costs associated with treatment by a specialist behavior therapy team for adults (18+) with intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior. The study, conducted in England, employed an exploratory research design, utilizing both primary and secondary research methods. The research investigated the impact of a specialist behavior therapy team combined with standard treatment versus standard treatment alone. Key findings indicate that intensive community support helps reduce challenging behavior, increases staff satisfaction, and positive behavior support decreases challenging behavior. The study included 63 participants, with follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months, and used methods like the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and transformed lethargy and hyperactivity subscale scores to measure outcomes. The conclusion supports the effectiveness of specialist behavior therapy when used with standard treatment.

Article Questions

Table of Contents
QUESTION 1..................................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 2..................................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 3..................................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 4..................................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 5..................................................................................................................................2
QUESTION 6..................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 7..................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 8..................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 9..................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 10................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 11................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 12................................................................................................................................4
Question 13......................................................................................................................................4
Question 14......................................................................................................................................4
Question 15......................................................................................................................................4
Question 16......................................................................................................................................4
Question 17......................................................................................................................................4
Question 18......................................................................................................................................5
Question 19......................................................................................................................................5
Question 20......................................................................................................................................5
Question 21......................................................................................................................................5
Question 22......................................................................................................................................5
Question 23......................................................................................................................................5
Question 24......................................................................................................................................5
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QUESTION 1
P= Effectiveness and costs associated with treatment by a specialist behaviour therapy team.
Service users age 18 age with severity of intellectual disability are the population of this study.
I= behaviour
therapy team plus standard treatment or to standard treatment will be randomly applied.
C= No
O= in the study no difference has been observed between treatment effects for lethargy and
inappropriate speech.
QUESTION 2
Specialist behaviour therapy team in combination with standard treatment is more effective
than standard treatment alone in reducing challenging behaviour and costs.
QUESTION 3
The study has used primary research. This is considered as one of the effective method because
use of participants has supported researcher in finding statistical results on effectiveness and
costs associated with treatment by a specialist behaviour therapy team. Use of primary research
sources supported the scholar in analysing behaviour therapy team that supported in finding
current trends for cost. This primary resource has been used to assess behaviour in people.
Furthermore, individual has also applied secondary research instruments.
QUESTION 4
Exploratory research design has been used in the study.
QUESTION 5
The exploratory research design is used in the studies where scholar has to explore
research questions. The main reason of selecting this instrument is to determine nature of
problem so that understanding about research problem can be developed effectively. In this
method researcher can change direction of conducting investigation if new better idea is being
found. Exploratory research design tends to find out causes and alternative options so that best
solutions can be find out. By this way researcher has become able to explore detail about
controlled trail of specialist behaviour therapy team for challenging behaviour in selected
population.
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QUESTION 6
Study has involved clinical characteristics of 63 adults those who are suffering from
intellectual disabilities. In the present study scholar has applied high level of relevant evidences
that has helped the scholar in completing this research in effective manner.
QUESTION 7
One of the main advantage of exploratory research design in this research that scholar has
become able to potentially save time and involve other resources effectively.
As researcher had to test cost and effectiveness of behaviour therapy team thus, scholar is
required to make changes if other alternative solution found. Adaptability to change and
flexibility features can be found only in exploratory design.
QUESTION 8
Aim
To examine the effectiveness and costs associated with treatment by a specialist behaviour
therapy team.
Objectives
 To understand role of functional analyses
 To analyses effectiveness of specialist behaviour therapy team in reducing challenging
behaviour and cost.
QUESTION 9
One of the main reason of conducting this study is that number of cases of adult’s
intellectual disabilities have been increasing. These people are facing challenging behaviour,
after having many government policies still improvement in challenging behaviour of adults is
very slow. Thus, scholar has conducted study to find out main reason over poor improvement in
these people and analyses the effectiveness of specialist behaviour therapy team so that proper
changes can be made in polices and practices.
QUESTION 10
Study has been conducted in England. Researcher belongs to the England university.
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QUESTION 11
All the people those who have been involved in the present study are above 18-year-old
and they are having intellectual disability. There were 63 male and female service users as
sample.
QUESTION 12
 Nominal data are the type of detail which are represented through names only.
 Ordinal data are such information which have natural ordering.
 Interval data are similar to ordinary but interval between each value exist.
QUESTION 13
In order to calculate mean value of age of participants, the total of the ages of all individual
can be divided with the number of individuals who acts as a participant in the study. The results
will be the mean for the ages od respondents. In the formula format, it can be stated in the
following manner:
Mean value = Total of age of all the participants / Total number of participants
QUESTION 14
After considering all the inclusion and exclusion criteria designed by the researcher, 69
participants were chosen based on their eligibility. However, due to various issues such as, lost in
follow up, demise and various other reason, in the end, data was analysed for only 32 candidates
were left belonging to behaviour therapy team and standard treatment. However, 31 people
belonged to standard treatment.
QUESTION 15
Service users belonging to the age of 18 and above suffering from severe intellectual
disability were included in the study.
QUESTION 16
Participants were randomly allocated to different teams that are, behaviour therapy team
plus standard treatment and standard treatment alone. They were retained for the period of 6
months so as to address changes that they feel after indulging in these therapies in different
teams.
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QUESTION 17
There are certain independent variables that has been chosen by the researcher for the
present research are, treatment cost, inpatient services (non psychiatric), Outpatient services (non
psychiatric), day activities and community based services.
QUESTION 18
Operational definition of independent variable is the method which is measured in a
particular study. Dependent variable in this case is related to variable that has been measured and
tested in a scientific experiment.
QUESTION 19
The main results of the research stated that intensive community support helps in reducing
challenging behaviour and increases staff satisfaction. Another result that has be gathered from
the research is that Positive behaviour support that requires the implementation and monitoring
of behaviour plans is associated with a decrease in challenging behaviour up to 22 months later
QUESTION 20
The first outcome mentioned in 19th can be measured with the help of secondary research
conducted by him. However, second outcome have high dependence on primary study that has
been conducted for the research. Hence, follow can help in drawing out the changes that may
take place after completion of the study.
QUESTION 21
The follow up of the results and outcome was made by the researcher after 3 months and 6
months. Hence, continuous follow up was not made in weeks.
QUESTION 22
The calculated p value for the research is -0.89 with 95% of confidence level in case of
Aberrant behaviour checklist. However, as per transformed lethargy and hyperactivity subscale
scores, the value of p has dropped down to 0.56, with 95% of confidence level.
QUESTION 23
Standard deviation helps in quantifying the amount of dispersion and variation of set of
data. It helps in expressing the variability of population to measure the confidence level in
statistics.
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QUESTION 24
The results were stated based upon the analysis being performed through two methods.
These are, Aberrant Behaviour Checklist and transformed lethargy and hyperactivity subscale
scores. For certain respondents, AS-ADD comorbid organic disorder subscale was also used to
reach to the analysis. The conclusion of the study stated that improvement in challenging
behaviour can be effective if specialist behaviour therapy is used with standard treatment.
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