Paxis Institute

Saint Francis spoke of small beginnings come better goods. The same is true in behavioral science to promote positive mental, emotional, behavioral and academic outcomes. More than a decade ago, the front page of the Wall Street Journal published is graphic in 2010. Since, the prevalence has increased—despite massive use of psychotropic medications for children. Obviously, this cannot be a genetic cause, poor parenting, etc. Rather, this is a cultural. Multiple Surgeon General and Institute of Medicine Reports have identified well proven, simple, low-cost strategies to prevent and reduce this epidemic. Those prevention and early intervention strategies are not almost every TV channel. Why? Because the prevention and early-intervention strategies are dirt cheap. In fact those strategies have far better outcomes and cost-effective in longitudinal, randomized-comparative effectiveness studies. However, medical doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, educators, etc. have virtually no training or actual knowledge of population-level prevention strategies in the Surgeon General and Institute of Medicine reports. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine Report on the Prevention of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders that highlighted to possibility of population-level prevention. Two strategies were scalable at a public health level: the Good Behavior Game® and brief, simple parenting tools for common situations—pioneered by my colleague, the amazing Dr. Matt Saunders in the Commonwealth. In 2010, SAMSHA/Centers for Mental Health Services announced funding for 20 sites to replicate the Good Behavior Game®/aka PAX Good Behavior Game®. That had the advantage of being able to use the strategy as just part of the routines of the day in classrooms or similar settings. Since, we have been able to prove population level with multiple experimental designs, including randomized-control trials with longer followup. What are the long-term outcomes for children? Well, one thing is that they might have a lot fewer mental, emotional, behavioral or academic/work problems. The strategy does not use medication or treatment. It harnesses the ability of young children to work together in positive ways with positive outcomes from primary grades, to adolescence, young adulthood and the age of parenting themselves. What is the evidence? Go to www.pubmed.gov and follow the studies at Johns Hopkins studies (e.g. Shepard Kellam and Nicholas Ialongo). My staff at PAXIS Institute have worked with SAMSHA and Hopkins to make this scalable for any school school regardless of language or home-life. The strategy is now widely available to prevent or reduce childhood DSM Disorders. The cost for a whole classroom is less that some psychotropic drugs for one month for one or two children. That is why all the scientific reviews promote the Hopkins Good Behavior Game.