Multisystemic Family Preservation Therapy

Abstract

The increase in the number of serious offenses by adolescents, particularly among minority populations, has drawn attention to these difficult-to-treat youths. This article provides preliminary findings from the Diffusion of Multisystemic Family Preservation (MFP) Services Project, which conducted work with rural African-American and White families who have a chronic or violent adolescent offender at imminent risk for incarceration. Analyses assessed the impact of multisystemic therapy on family functioning (parental monitoring, family communications, family structure, etc.) and on the problem behavior of the delinquent adolescent (conduct problems, aggression, and criminal activity). In general, the MFP group demonstrated improvements in amount of problem behavior and mother psychological distress, and in aspects of family functioning following treatment. These results generally replicate the previous successes that MFP has shown in the treatment of samples of serious juvenile offenders in urban areas.

Screening for psychological and mental health difficulties in young people who offend: a systematic review and decision model

“…The mean age of the sample was 15 or 16 years in most cases. Six of the 10 studies had an entirely male sample 56,59,61,62,65,67 and the sample was predominantly male in one other study; 66 only one study had an entirely female sample. 63 In the studies in which ethnicity was reported, the sample was predominantly Caucasian; 56,59,61,62,64,65 in one study the majority of the sample was African American.…”

“…63 In the studies in which ethnicity was reported, the sample was predominantly Caucasian; 56,59,61,62,64,65 in one study the majority of the sample was African American. 66 The total sample size was small for all of the studies. Only four studies had a total sample size > 50 61,62,64,65 and no studies had a total sample size > 100.…”

“…Four studies were rated as being at low risk of bias, 56,60,64,67 two were rated as being at high risk of bias 61,66 and the remainder were rated as being at unclear risk of bias.…”

“…62 A further study in which both the adolescent and the family were the focus of the intervention used a variety of forms of contact between the family and other professionals. 66 A range of professionals, typically with a professional mental health qualification, delivered the interventions, although one study did use doctoral students 63 and in another treatment was delivered by a psychologist and a doctoral student. 59 A brief summary of the different types of interventions used in the included studies is given below.…”

“…l Multisystemic Family Preservation Program. Multisystemic family preservation treatment, used in one study, 66 draws on a range of therapeutic modalities including family therapy models, CBT and community consultation techniques. The goal of treatment is primarily to reduce delinquent behaviour and avoid out-of-home placements for the adolescent but, as part of this overall goal, the treatment recognises the need to meet other therapeutic objectives that may contribute to the primary goal, such as increasing positive family functioning.…”