New Frontiers in Transdiagnostic Treatment: Youth Psychotherapy for Internalizing and Externalizing Problems and Disorders

Abstract

Comorbidity is common among youths referred for mental health treatment. Yet, the majority of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for young people are focal, addressing one or a homogeneous cluster of disorders or problems. In addition, most of these EBTs have been developed and tested in research settings under controlled conditions that are useful experimentally but may limit the generalizability of findings to referred youths in clinical practice treated by real-world practitioners. Recently, researchers have begun to develop transdiagnostic treatments that may support implementation in everyday practice. Here, we describe a transdiagnostic program called MATCH (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children With Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems; MATCH-ADTC), which employs a modular design to facilitate personalizing treatment to fit individual youths. We summarize evidence to date supporting the effectiveness of MATCH with youths treated by practitioners in community clinic and school settings. Directions for the future include replication of the effectiveness research, plus tests of adaptations designed for different populations and settings.