Introduction
Individual therapy is one of the treatment options for adolescent boys who are diagnosed with conduct disorder. This disorder is characterized by socially unacceptable behavior and a difficulty in complying with simple instructions or rules. It occurs among adolescents aged 14 to 16 and is influenced by various factors, such as the social environment, genetics, and gender (Hare, 2003). Although it occurs among both adolescent girls and boys, it is more predominant among boys.
Considering that the factors that cause this disorder vary for each patient and considering that their experiences with their disorder would also vary, it can be hypothesized that the effectiveness of individual therapy as a treatment method for conduct disorder may also vary among patients.
In this regard, this research paper aims to identify how effective individual therapy is as a treatment method for adolescents, particularly for male adolescents, who are diagnosed with conduct disorder.
Methodology
Design
The researcher intends to conduct a non-experimental and qualitative research. More specifically, the researcher proposes to use meta-synthesis as the research method for determining the answer to the question posed for this research, which is how effective individual therapy is in treating conduct disorder among male adolescents.
Qualitative meta-synthesis is a research method that aims to interpret similar phenomena in order to contribute to knowledge development (Poggenpoel & Myburgh, 2009). It is a method where the results of qualitative studies are synthesized in order to obtain a better understanding of a phenomenon’s general nature (Au, 2007).
For this particular research, a meta-synthesis, also referred to as a meta-analysis, would be the best method because it would allow the researcher to obtain information about the effectiveness of individual therapy for the treatment of conduct disorder from a bigger sample. This method will allow the researcher to gather the results of multiple studies. In turn, it will allow the researcher to analyze the effectiveness of the treatment on adolescents from various backgrounds and geographic locations, which may not be easily conducted if the researcher chose another method, such as the experimental or ethnographic method. More particularly, conducting an experimental research or other forms of qualitative research, such as an ethnographic study or a case study, will limit the findings of the research to a small population from a limited demographic. It will also be very time-consuming and tedious to perform. On the other hand, a meta-synthesis can be more easily conducted and the results that are obtained will be more comprehensive in that not only will they involve results from a wider sample from a more varied demographic but will also involve a longer time span. As an additional possible result, changes may be observed with regards to the effectiveness of the treatment over time.
Data Collection
Data for this research will be collected from journal articles that describe the findings of studies on the effectiveness of individual therapy as a treatment method for conduct disorder. These articles should have been published in scholarly journals within the last ten to fifteen years. Both electronic and traditional libraries will be used in searching for these journals and journal articles. The World Wide Web may also be used, although the researcher shall ensure that only scholarly sources are used.
The researcher aims to obtain about ten to fifteen articles that preferably focus on the effectiveness of individual therapy in the treatment of male adolescents with conduct disorder. However, if there is a shortage of studies that mainly deal with male adolescent patients then the researcher may consider studies that deal with female adolescents or a combination of male and female adolescents.
Analysis
After coding the findings into the aforementioned themes, the researcher will summarize and discuss these results in order to come up with a conclusion about the effectiveness of individual therapy as a treatment method for conduct disorder among male adolescents.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the researcher proposes that this research will aim to determine the effectiveness of individual therapy as a treatment method for male adolescents who are diagnosed with conduct disorder.
References
Au, W. (2007, June/July). High-stakes testing and curricular control: A qualitative
meta-synthesis. Educational Research, 36 (5), 258-267.
Hare, R.D. (2003). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (2nd Ed.). Toronto, Ontario: Multi-Health Systems.
Poggenpoel, M. & Myburgh, C. (2009, June). A meta-synthesis of completed
qualitative research on learners’ experience of aggression in secondary schools in South
Africa. International Journal of Violence and School, 8, 60-84.
