Totalistic Teen Treatment: A Qualitative Analysis of Retrospective Accounts

by Marcus Chatfield

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Author: Marcus Chatfield

Publisher: Independently published

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 1096687240
ISBN 13: 978-1096687245

This original qualitative research analyzes adult reports about the experiences and impacts of totalistic teen programs. In the United States a wide array of residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness/outdoor, and intensive outpatient programs provide psychological and behavioral programming to “troubled” youth in totalistic settings. These programs are characterized by insularity, autocratic power structures, and intensive group practices. Some individuals may experience genuinely therapeutic responses to such treatment while others may experience a range of negative effects. Although federal investigations and dramatic news reports provide anecdotal evidence suggesting some program types may be problematic, few empirical studies have explored the relationship between program design and quality of life within totalistic settings, and very little is known about the way such programs impact adult development. This research used a purposeful stratified sampling technique to identify interview participants with a wide range of experiences within 25 different totalistic teen programs. Data were collected in an online questionnaire (N=223) and in one-hour phone interviews conducted nationally (N=30). Using categorical, comparative, topical, and thematic approaches to analysis, this research answers questions about the experiences, immediate effects, and long-term impacts of totalistic teen treatment methods. This thesis applies key findings to policy recommendations and concludes there is a need for multidisciplinary research toward greater protections for youth in totalistic treatment settings.

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Adolescent Psychology

Totalistic Teen Treatment: A Qualitative Analysis of Retrospective Accounts