Abstract
In this article we discuss the results of a controlled, longitudinal study of the short-term effectiveness of respite care services for families with children experiencing emotional and behavioral disturbance (EBD). Results indicated that 33 families caring for a child with EBD who received respite care experienced significantly better outcomes overall than did 28 families in a wait-list comparison group, including fewer incidents of out-of-home placement, greater optimism about caring for the child at home, reductions in some areas of caregiving stress, and lower incidence of negative behaviors expressed in the community. However, significant between-group differences were not found for several other variables, and regression analyses suggested that more intensive allocation of service hours was necessary to have a more pervasive impact. The results support the hypothesis that moderate amounts of respite services benefit families with children experiencing EBD but suggest that respite plus other individualized services and supports will be necessary to meet the substantial caregiving challenges faced by most of these families.
