A psychodynamic approach to emotional difficulties within a social framework.

Szatmari (1992) tested a psychodynamic therapy program for adults with emotional and behavioral problems. The sessions took place in everyday community spots, not in a hospital. Workers helped clients talk about feelings and relationships while they were at home, work, or social groups.

The program cut maladaptive and anti-social behavior. Clients showed calmer, safer actions in the places where they lived and worked.

Mazonson et al. (2018) later built on this idea. They swapped the talk-therapy lens for setting-wide positive behavior support. Their cluster trial with adults in group homes also slashed challenging behavior and kept the gains for over a year.

Whitehouse et al. (2014) and Perez et al. (2015) looked back at studies like Szatmari (1992). The reviews warn that most early papers, including this one, lack tight controls. So while the 1992 results are hopeful, later work demands stronger designs before we call any psychosocial method proven.

Boudreau et al. (2015) used behavioral activation, not psychodynamic talk, with adults who have intellectual disabilities. Both studies report large drops in problem behavior, showing different roads can reach the same goal.

You can borrow the 1992 lesson today: treat emotional roots of challenging behavior where they happen. Pair your ABA plan with brief, feeling-focused chats in the kitchen, job site, or store. Track if maladaptive episodes fall after these real-time check-ins. This low-cost add-on may boost your PBS outcomes without extra clinic visits.