An Ecological Approach to Promoting Early Adolescent Mental Health and Social Adaptation: Family‐Centered Intervention in Public Middle Schools

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the Family Check-Up (FCU) and linked intervention services on reducing health-risk behaviors and promoting social adaptation among middle school youth. A total of 593 students and their families were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or middle school services as usual. Forty-two percent of intervention families engaged in the service and received the FCU. Using complier average causal effect analyses, engagement in the intervention moderated intervention outcomes. Families who engaged in the intervention had youth who reported lower rates of antisocial behavior and substance use over time than did a matched control sample. Results extend previous research indicating that a family-centered approach to supporting youth in the public school setting reduced growth of antisocial behavior, alcohol use, tobacco use, and marijuana use throughout the middle school years.

Pubertal development, personality, and substance use: A 10-year longitudinal study from childhood to adolescence.

“…Selective approaches targeting pubertal and personality liability factors in childhood or early adolescence rather than the behavior or problems later in adolescence, have shown very promising results. For example, one approach that targets disruptive behaviors and impulse control in childhood has been shown to have long-term effects on adolescent substance use (e.g., Castellanos-Ryan, Séguin, Vitaro, Parent & Tremblay (accepted); Castellanos-Ryan, O'Leary-Barrett, & Conrod, 2013;Stormshak et al, 2011;van Lier, Huizink, & Crijnen, 2009;Zonnevylle-Bender, Matthys, van de Wiel, & Lochman, 2007). A second promising selective approach is a personalitybased model targeting four personality risk factors for early onset drinking or illicit drug use in early adolescence, including impulse control and sensation seeking.…”

Introduction to Special Issue

“…The "Family Check-Up" program (Stormshak et al, 2011) is a three-session individual prevention program providing feedback focused on parental strengths. It employs motivational interviewing techniques to engage parents in a process of changing inappropriate parenting behaviors.…”

The Family Check-Up and Service Use in High-Risk Families of Young Children: A Prevention Strategy with a Bridge to Community-Based Treatment

“…In two randomized trials with community samples, 25 to 50 % of the caregivers of middle school students who were not seeking services, engaged in the FCU (Stormshak et al, 2011). In two randomized studies of ethnically diverse, income-eligible families with toddlers enrolled in a national food supplement program, 75 to 92 % of the families randomized to the FCU engaged when the child was age 2 years (Dishion et al, 2008; Shaw et al, 2006).…”

“…A positive therapist–client relationship is a known strong predictor of engagement and successful outcomes of new services, and for effecting enduring change (Forgatch et al, 2005; Kerkorian et al, 2006; Lambert & Barley, 2001). Second, the FCU’s flexible and adaptive approach facilitates the therapist’s ability to adapt services to the caregiver’s culture (ethnicity and SES; Boyd-Ball & Dishion, 2006; Stormshak et al, 2011). Third, the FCU uses home visiting to reduce barriers to engagement for disadvantaged families (Szapocznik & Kurtines, 1989).…”