Mindfulness-based Mode Deactivation Therapy for Adolescents with Behavioral Problems and Complex Comorbidity: Concepts in a Nutshell and Cost-Benefit Analysis
Mindfulness-based Mode Deactivation Therapy for Adolescents with Behavioral Problems and Complex Comorbidity: Concepts in a Nutshell and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Summary/Abstract: Mindfulness-based Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) was conceptualized on the principles of cognitive theory for adolescents with behavioral problems and complex comorbid disorders. The theory and methodology addresses many of the shortcomings that were experienced in treating this population with available therapy approaches. As a systematic, manualized, and contextual treatment, MDT incorporates selected elements from approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), together with the unique Validation-Clarification-Redirection (VCR) change technique. Numerous empirical research studies have established MDT as an effective treatment for adolescents that consistently outperform alternative interventions. A cost-benefit analysis illustrates that MDT is also a cost-effective treatment, potentially saving between four and nine dollars in consequential behavioral costs for every dollar spent on the residential treatment of an adolescent. Therefore, there is ample evidence that Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) is a third wave therapy with potential to become the preferred intervention for this population. The objective of this article is to present a condensed summary of this evidence, together with a brief overview of the concepts and principles that constitute the MDT theory and methodology.

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