Adapting the Delivery of Functional Family Therapy Around the World During a Global Pandemic.

This paper describes accommodations that were implemented to support the global delivery of Functional Family Therapy (FFT) in community-based settings during COVID-19. FFT is an evidence-based family therapy that has been used with youth and families in juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, and school settings. FFT LLC, an organization that disseminates FFT into community settings, currently supports over 350 community-based agencies that deliver FFT globally. Using the implementation framework articulated by Fixsen et al. (Implementation research: a synthesis of the literature, University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network, 2005), this paper describes key sets of implementation drivers (i.e., competency, organizational, and leadership) that facilitated the accommodations made to meet the challenge of maintaining fidelity to FFT as training and clinical services were transitioned to online platforms. To evaluate if accommodations were associated with fidelity and outcomes, descriptive information about treatment delivery and basic outcomes (e.g., therapist fidelity to model, youth behavioral outcomes) from March 15, 2020, to September 1, 2020 were compared to the same period from 2019. During 2020, FFT LLC supported therapists who served over 11,000 families and conducted over 35,000 tele-sessions with families. Overall, results showed similar completion rates (79% vs. 75%), therapist fidelity (3.77 vs. 3.94), and therapist-reported outcomes in 2019 and 2020 (respectively), suggesting that delivering the FFT model can be implemented with fidelity using teletherapy formats.

Therapist Strategies for Managing Midtreatment Problems in Evidence-based Interventions in Community Settings.

The National Institute of Health has made it a priority to identify, develop, and refine strategies to disseminate and implement effective interventions (National Institute of Health, 2015). This study examined qualitative reports of the strategies therapists used to manage common implementation problems they encountered during midtreatment in Multisystemic Therapy® (MST) and Functional Family Therapy (FFT), two widely disseminated evidence- and family-based treatments for substance abusing and delinquent adolescents. Experienced therapists from dissemination sites across the U.S. described cases in which they encountered midtreatment problems they perceived as serious threats to treatment success. They indicated why each case terminated and rated the outcome of the case. Qualitative analyses examined 16 treatment failures and then 16 treatment successes to identify contextual obstacles that accompanied the problems therapists identified, along with strategies they reported using with families that ultimately succeeded or failed. Therapists reported that midtreatment problems were often embedded in additional related difficulties and that they employed multiple relationship techniques and process-focused strategies to try to resolve these problems. For the most part, therapists described obstacles and strategies for successful and unsuccessful families in similar ways. Patterns of themes and subthemes suggested, however, that therapists in successful cases may be more likely to report "on-script" strategies and therapists in unsuccessful cases may describe more "off-script" strategies as well as more generic relationship building and advice-giving strategies.

Los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH, por sus siglas en inglés) han priorizado la detección, el desarrollo y la perfección de estrategias para difundir e implementar intervenciones eficaces (National Institute of Health, 2015). Este estudio analizó los informes cualitativos de las estrategias que usaron los terapeutas para manejar los problemas comunes de implementación que encontraron durante la mitad del tratamiento en la terapia multisistémica (Multisystemic Therapy® , MST) y en la terapia familiar funcional (Functional Family Therapy, FFT), dos tratamientos factuales y basados en la familia ampliamente difundidos para adolescentes con problemas de delincuencia y de abuso de sustancias. Un grupo de terapeutas experimentados de centros de difusión de todo Estados Unidos describió casos en los cuales encontraron problemas en la mitad del tratamiento que ellos percibieron como amenazas graves para el éxito del tratamiento. Estos terapeutas indicaron por qué cada caso terminó y calificaron el resultado del caso. Los análisis cualitativos analizaron 16 fallas del tratamiento y luego 16 aciertos del tratamiento para detectar obstáculos contextuales que acompañaban a los problemas mencionados por los terapeutas, junto con estrategias que informaron haber usado con familias y que finalmente fueron satisfactorias o fallaron. Los terapeutas informaron que los problemas en la mitad del tratamiento generalmente formaban parte de otras dificultades relacionadas y que ellos emplearon varias técnicas relacionales y estrategias centradas en los procesos para intentar resolver estos problemas. En su mayoría, los terapeutas describieron los obstáculos y las estrategias utilizadas con las familias favorables y con las desfavorables de maneras similares. Sin embargo, los patrones de temas y subtemas indicaron que los terapeutas de los casos favorables pueden ser más propensos a informar estrategias "dentro del libreto" y que los terapeutas de los casos desfavorables pueden describir más estrategias "fuera del libreto", así como estrategias más genéricas de construcción de relaciones y de asesoramiento.

Evaluating Supervision Models in Functional Family Therapy: Does Adding Observation Enhance Outcomes?

This study examined the effects of observation-based supervision Building Outcomes with Observation-Based Supervision of Therapy (BOOST therapists = 26, families = 105), versus supervision as usual (SAU therapists = 21, families = 59) on (a) youth externalizing behavior problems and (b) the moderating effects of changes in family functioning on youth externalizing behaviors for adolescents receiving Functional Family Therapy (FFT). Exploratory analyses examined the impact of supervision conditions on youth internalizing problems. In 8 community agencies, experienced FFT therapists (M = 1.4 years) received either BOOST or SAU supervision in a quasi-experimental design. Male (59%) or female (41%) adolescents were referred for the treatment of behavior problems (e.g., delinquency, substance use). Clients were Hispanic (62%), African American (19%), Non-Hispanic White (12%), or Other (7%) ethnic/racial origins. Therapists (female, 77%) were Hispanic 45%, African American (19%), White Non-Hispanic (30%), or other (4%) ethnic/racial backgrounds. Analyses controlled for the presence or absence of clinically elevated symptoms on outcome variables. Clinical outcomes were measured at baseline, 5 months, and 12 months after treatment initiation. Clients with externalizing behavior above clinical thresholds had significantly greater reductions in problem behaviors in the BOOST versus the SAU conditions. Clients below thresholds did not respond differentially to conditions. Supervisors in BOOST had more experience with the FFT model; as such, the observed results may be a result of supervisor experience. The BOOST supervision was associated with improved outcomes on problem behaviors that were above clinical thresholds. The findings demonstrate the importance of addressing client case mix in implementation studies in natural environments.

Este estudio examinó los efectos de la supervisión basada en la observación (terapeutas de BOOST = 26, familias = 105) frente a la supervisión habitual (terapeutas de SAU = 21, familias = 59) en (a) la externalización de problemas de conducta en los jóvenes y (b) los efectos moderadores de los cambios en el funcionamiento familiar sobre la externalización de conductas de los jóvenes en el caso de adolescentes que reciben terapia familiar funcional (FFT). Los análisis exploratorios analizaron el efecto de las condiciones de la supervisión en la internalización de problemas de los jóvenes. En 8 agencias comunitarias, terapeutas experimentados en FFT (M = 1,4 años) recibieron supervisión BOOST o SAU en un diseño cuasiexperimental. Se derivó a adolescentes masculinos (59%) o femeninos (41%) para el tratamiento de problemas conductuales (p. ej.: delincuencia, consumo de sustancias). Los pacientes eran hispanos (62%), afroamericanos (19%), blancos no hispanos (12%) o de otros orígenes étnicos o raciales (7%). Los terapeutas (femeninos, 77%) eran hispanos 45%, afroamericanos (19%), blancos no hispanos (30%) o de otros orígenes étnicos o raciales (4%). Los análisis tuvieron en cuenta la presencia o la ausencia de síntomas clínicamente elevados en los criterios de valoración. Se midieron las variables clínicas al inicio, a los 5 meses y 12 meses después del inicio del tratamiento. Resultados: Los pacientes con externalización del comportamiento por encima de los límites clínicos tuvieron reducciones considerablemente mayores de los comportamientos problemáticos en las condiciones de BOOST frente a las de SAU. Los pacientes por debajo de los límites no respondieron de forma diferencial a las condiciones. Los supervisores de BOOST tenían más experiencia con el modelo de FFT; por lo tanto, los resultados observados pueden ser el resultado de la experiencia de los supervisores. La supervisión BOOST estuvo asociada con mejores resultados en los comportamientos problemáticos que estaban por encima de los límites clínicos. Los resultados demuestran la importancia de abordar la variedad de casos de pacientes en la implementación de estudios en ambientes naturales.

Midtreatment Problems Implementing Evidence-based Interventions in Community Settings.

Multisystemic Therapy® (MST) and Functional Family Therapy (FFT) are two widely disseminated evidence-based family-based treatments for substance abusing and delinquent adolescents. This mixed-method study examined common implementation problems in midtreatment in MST and FFT. A convenience sample of experienced therapists (20 MST, 20 FFT) and supervisors (10 MST, 10 FFT) from dissemination sites across the United States participated in semistructured telephone interviews. Participants identified retrospectively serious midtreatment process problems they perceived as threats to treatment success. Coders extracted descriptions of problems from interview transcripts and coded them into 12 categories that fell into five major themes: engaging families in treatment; difficulties implementing strategies; family relational and communication problems; complications external to therapy; and youth problem behavior. Analyses examined caregiver, therapist, and youth variables as predictors of these common midtreatment problems and whether treatment outcomes varied depending on the type of problem, therapy model, and race/ethnic match of therapist and family. MST and FFT therapists and supervisors identified many similar problems. There were, however, model-specific differences consistent with differing features of the models (e.g., FFT participants identified more family relational problems and fewer follow-through problems than their MST counterparts). Results underscore the need to consider both common and specific factors in treatment process.

La terapia multisistémica (Multisystemic Therapy®, MST) y la terapia familiar funcional (Functional Family Therapy, FFT) son dos tratamientos factuales familiares ampliamente difundidos para adolescentes con problemas de abuso de sustancias y delincuencia. Este estudio de métodos combinados analizó los problemas de implementación comunes a mediados del tratamiento en la MST y la FFT. Una muestra de conveniencia de terapeutas experimentados (20 MST, 20 FFT) y supervisores (10 MST, 10 FFT) de centros de difusión de todo EE. UU. participaron en entrevistas telefónicas semiestructuradas. Los participantes reconocieron retrospectivamente graves problemas en el proceso a mediados del tratamiento que percibieron como amenazas para el éxito del tratamiento. Los codificadores extrajeron las descripciones de problemas de las transcripciones de las entrevistas y los codificaron en 12 categorías que comprendían cinco temas principales: interés de las familias por el tratamiento; dificultades para implementar estrategias; problemas de comunicación y relacionales con la familia; complicaciones ajenas a la terapia; y comportamiento problemático de los jóvenes. Los análisis examinaron las variables de cuidador, terapeuta y joven como predictores de estos problemas comunes a mediados del tratamiento y si los resultados del tratamiento variaron según el tipo de problema, el modelo de terapia y la coincidencia étnica/racial entre el terapeuta y la familia. Los terapeutas y los supervisores de la MST y la FFT detectaron varios problemas similares. Sin embargo, hubo diferencias específicas de los modelos que coincidieron con las distintas características de los modelos (p. ej.: los participantes de la FFT reconocieron más problemas de relaciones familiares y menos problemas para terminar el tratamiento que sus homólogos de la MST). Los resultados subrayan las necesidad de tener en cuenta tanto los factores comunes como específicos del proceso de tratamiento.

Juvenile Justice Risk Factors and Functional Family Therapy Fidelity on Felony Recidivism.

Families (n = 5,884) received Functional Family Therapy (FFT) provided as part of court-ordered probation services by 11 community sites throughout Florida. Sites provided home-based FFT to families with male (72%) or female (28%) delinquent youth. Juvenile justice courts referred clients to these services in an effort to redirect them away from incarceration. Clients were Hispanic (18%), Black (41%), and White Non-Hispanic (36%), while therapists (female, 79%) were of Hispanic (28%), Black (20%), and White Non-Hispanic (50%) ethnic/racial origins. Analyses of clients' pretreatment recidivism risk and therapist's caseload of risky clients demonstrated that both individual and treatment site case-mix of client criminal risk levels were associated with higher adjudicated felony recidivism. Furthermore, clinical process indicators suggest that therapists with larger rather than smaller caseloads of high-risk clients provided treatment with greater fidelity. Results suggest that experience in working with challenging clients is critical for achieving fidelity with these cases.

Summary of comparison between FFT-CW® and Usual Care sample from Administration for Children's Services.

This evaluation compared the efficiency and effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy-Child Welfare (FFT-CW®, n=1625) to Usual Care (UC: n=2250) in reducing child maltreatment. FFT-CW® is a continuum of care model based on the family's risk status. In a child welfare setting, families received either UC or FFT-CW® in a quasi-experimental, stepped wedge design across all five boroughs of New York City. The families were matched using stratified propensity scoring on their pre-service risk status and followed for 16 months. The ethnically diverse sample included African American (36%), Asian (4%); Hispanic (49%), and Non-Hispanic White (6%) or Other (6%) participants. Referral reasons included abuse or neglect (57.4%), child service needs (56.9%) or child health and safety concerns (42.8%). Clinical process variables included staff fidelity, service duration, and number of contacts. Positive outcomes included whether all clinical goals were met and negative outcomes included transfers, outplacement, recurring allegations and service participation within 16 months of the case open date. Families receiving FFT-CW® completed treatment more quickly than UC and they were significantly more likely to meet all of the planned service goals. Higher treatment fidelity was associated with more favorable outcomes. Fewer FFT-CW® families were transferred to another program at closing, and they had fewer recurring allegations. FFT-CW® had fewer out-of-home placements in families with higher levels of risk factors. The FFT-CW® program was more efficient in completing service, and more effective than UC in meeting treatment goals while also avoiding adverse outcomes.

Measuring affiliation in group therapy for substance use disorders in the Women's Recovery Group study: Does it matter whether the group is all-women or mixed-gender?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A Stage II, two-site randomized clinical trial compared the manualized, single-gender Women's Recovery Group (WRG) to mixed-gender group therapy (Group Drug Counseling; GDC) and demonstrated efficacy. Enhanced affiliation and support in the WRG is a hypothesized mechanism of efficacy. This study sought to extend results of the previous small Stage I trial that showed the rate of supportive affiliative statements occurred more frequently in WRG than GDC. METHODS: Participants (N = 158; 100 women, 58 men) were 18 years or older, substance dependent, and had used substances within the past 60 days. Women were randomized to WRG (n = 52) or GDC (n = 48). Group therapy videos were coded by two independent raters; Rater 1 coded 20% of videos (n = 74); Rater 2 coded 25% of videos coded by Rater 1 (n = 19). RESULTS: The number of affiliative statements made in WRG was 66% higher than in GDC. Three of eight affiliative statement categories occurred more frequently in WRG than GDC: supportive, shared experience, and strategy statements. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This larger Stage II trial provided a greater number of group therapy tapes available for analysis. Results extended our previous findings, demonstrating both greater frequency of all affiliative statements, as well as specific categories of statements, made in single-gender WRG than mixed-gender GDC. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Greater frequency of affiliative statements among group members may be one mechanism of enhanced support and efficacy in women-only WRG compared with standard mixed-gender group therapy for substance use disorders. (Am J Addict 2016;25:573-580).

Evolution of Functional Family Therapy as an Evidence-Based Practice for Adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Problems.

This article summarizes the evolution of functional family therapy (FFT) based upon four decades of clinical practice and scientific scrutiny through research evidence. FFT research has evolved from an initial focus upon clinical process research, which examined sequential exchanges between therapists and family members. A key element of this research has been an examination of the way in which clinicians acquire, consolidate, and maintain the skills needed to implement FFT effectively with youth and families. Many randomized efficacy and effectiveness studies have evaluated the impact of FFT across diverse clinical populations. Subsequent research investigated factors that influence the effectiveness of implementation across more than 300 clinical settings in which more than 2,500 trained clinicians have provided service to nearly 400,000 families. Another important set of investigations concerned the cost-effectiveness of the interventions.

A cross-sectional assessment of the long term effects of brief strategic family therapy for adolescent substance use.

BACKGROUND: Young adult drug use and law-breaking behaviors often have roots in adolescence. These behaviors are predicted by early drug use, parental substance use disorders, and disrupted and conflict-ridden family environments. AIM: To examine long-term outcomes of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in the rates of drug use, number of arrests and externalizing behaviors in young adults who were randomized into treatment conditions as adolescents. DESIGN: 261 of 480 adolescents who had been randomized to BSFT or TAU in the BSFT effectiveness study were assessed at a single time, 3-7 years post randomization. METHODS: Assessments of drug use, externalizing behaviors, arrests and incarcerations were conducted using Timeline Follow Back, Adult Self Report, and self-report, respectively. Drug use, arrests and incarcerations were examined using negative binomial models and externalizing behaviors were examined using linear regression. RESULTS: When compared with TAU, BSFT youth reported lower incidence of lifetime (IRR = 0.68, 95%CI [0.57, 0.81]) and past year (IRR = 0.54, 95%CI [0.40, 0.71]) arrests; lower rates of lifetime (IRR = 0.63, 95%CI [0.49, 0.81]) and past year (IRR = 0.70, 95%CI [0.53, 0.92]) incarcerations; and lower scores on externalizing behaviors at follow-up (B = -0.42, SE = .15, p = .005). There were no differences in drug use. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: BSFT may have long term effects in reducing the number of arrests, incarcerations and externalizing problems. These effects could be explained by the improvements in family functioning that occurred during the effectiveness study. This study contributes to the literature by reporting on the long term outcomes of family therapy for adolescent drug abuse.

The effects of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) on parent substance use and the association between parent and adolescent substance use.

BACKGROUND: The effects of family therapy for adolescent substance use on parent substance use have not been explored. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of Brief Strategic Family Therapy® (BSFT®) on parent substance use, and the relationship between parent substance use and adolescent substance use. DESIGN: 480 adolescents and parents were randomized to BSFT or Treatment as Usual (TAU) across eight outpatient treatment programs. METHODS: Parent substance use was assessed at baseline and at 12months post-randomization. Adolescent substance use was assessed at baseline and monthly for 12months post-randomization. Family functioning was assessed at baseline, 4, 8, and 12months post-randomization. RESULTS: Parents in BSFT significantly decreased their alcohol use as measured by the ASI composite score from baseline to 12months (χ(2)(1)=4.46, p=.04). Change in family functioning mediated the relationship between Treatment Condition and change in parent alcohol use. Children of parents who reported drug use at baseline had three times as many days of reported substance use at baseline compared with children of parents who did not use or only used alcohol (χ(2)(2)=7.58, p=.02). Adolescents in BSFT had a significantly lower trajectory of substance use than those in TAU (ß=-7.82, p<.001) if their parents used drugs at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: BSFT is effective in reducing alcohol use in parents, and in reducing adolescents' substance use in families where parents were using drugs at baseline. BSFT may also decrease alcohol use among parents by improving family functioning.

Evidence base on outpatient behavioral treatments for adolescent substance use: updates and recommendations 2007-2013.

This article updates the evidence base on outpatient behavioral treatments for adolescent substance use (ASU) since publication of the previous review completed for this journal by Waldron and Turner ( 2008 ). It first summarizes the Waldron and Turner findings as well as those from more recent literature reviews and meta-analytic studies of ASU treatment. It then presents study design and methods criteria used to select 19 comparative studies subjected to Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology level of support evaluation. These 19 studies are grouped by study category (efficacy or effectiveness) and described for sample characteristics, methodological quality, and substance use outcomes. Cumulative level of support designations are then made for each identified treatment approach: ecological family-based treatment, group cognitive-behavioral therapy, and individual cognitive-behavioral therapy are deemed Well Established; behavioral family-based treatment and motivational interviewing are deemed Probably Efficacious; drug counseling is deemed Possibly Efficacious; and four integrated treatment models combining more than one approach are deemed Well Established or Probably Efficacious. The remainder of the article (a) articulates fidelity, mediator, and moderator effects reported for evidence-based approaches since 2008 and (b) recommends four enhancements to the prevailing business model of ASU outpatient services to accelerate penetration of evidence-based approaches into the underserved consumer base: pursue partnerships with influential governmental systems, utilize web-based technology to extend reach and control costs, adapt effective methods for linking services across sectors of care, and promote uptake and sustainability by emphasizing return on investment.

Group Process in the single-gender Women's Recovery Group compared with mixed-gender Group Drug Counseling.

Enhanced affiliation among members is thought to provide increased support for women in single-gender compared with mixed-gender group therapy for substance use disorders (SUDs) and to provide a potential mechanism of action for its efficacy. In a Stage I trial of single-gender versus mixed-gender group therapy for SUDs we examined affiliative statements made by members in two group treatments, single-gender Women's Recovery Group (WRG) and mixed-gender Group Drug Counseling (GDC). Twenty-eight WRG and 17 GDC group therapy tapes were coded and compared for five types of affiliative statements. Three types of affiliative statements (agreement, supportive, and completing a thought) were highly correlated and were more frequent in WRG than GDC (D=0.882, p=0.27). In GDC, women were more likely to provide an affiliative statement to a male group member than any other combination of directionality (p<0.01). Compared with mixed-gender, single-gender group therapy for SUDs may enhance support through greater frequency of affiliative statements.

Reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms in youth receiving substance use treatment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research shows that interventions for substance use disorders may be helpful in reducing internalizing disorders in adolescents. This paper examines the prevalence and reductions of anxiety and depression symptoms among youth receiving substance use treatment. METHODS: Four hundred eighty adolescents ages 12-17 who received treatment for substance abuse as part of the Brief Strategic Family Therapy effectiveness trial were screened for anxiety and depression using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Predictive Scales (DISC-PS). Twelve-month post-randomization assessments were completed by 327 parents and 315 youth. Sixty-five percent of the sample was found to have probability of at least one anxiety disorder or depression diagnosis. RESULTS: Significant reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms and significant reductions in probable anxiety and depression diagnoses were observed at follow-up. Few differences by treatment type and by ethnic group were noticed. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Findings indicate that substance use interventions might help reduce the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and the probability of these disorders.

Brief strategic family therapy versus treatment as usual: results of a multisite randomized trial for substance using adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of brief strategic family therapy (BSFT; an evidence-based family therapy) compared to treatment as usual (TAU) as provided in community-based adolescent outpatient drug abuse programs. METHOD: A randomized effectiveness trial in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network compared BSFT to TAU with a multiethnic sample of adolescents (213 Hispanic, 148 White, and 110 Black) referred for drug abuse treatment at 8 community treatment agencies nationwide. Randomization encompassed both adolescents' families (n = 480) and the agency therapists (n = 49) who provided either TAU or BSFT services. The primary outcome was adolescent drug use, assessed monthly via adolescent self-report and urinalysis for up to 1 year post randomization. Secondary outcomes included treatment engagement (≥2 sessions), retention (≥8 sessions), and participants' reports of family functioning 4, 8, and 12 months following randomization. RESULTS: No overall differences between conditions were observed in the trajectories of self-reports of adolescent drug use. However, the median number of days of self-reported drug use was significantly higher, χ2(1) = 5.40, p < .02, in TAU (Mdn = 3.5, interquartile range [IQR] = 11) than BSFT (Mdn = 2, IQR = 9) at the final observation point. BSFT was significantly more effective than TAU in engaging, χ2(1) = 11.33, p < .001, and retaining, χ2(1) = 5.66, p < .02, family members in treatment and in improving parent reports of family functioning, χ2(2) = 9.10, p < .011. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss challenges in treatment implementation in community settings and provide recommendations for further research.

Conducting research with racial/ethnic minorities: methodological lessons from the NIDA Clinical Trials Network.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) demonstrate strategies for conducting effective substance abuse treatment research with racial/ethnic minorities (REMs). OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this article are to describe lessons learned within the CTN to (1) enhance recruitment, retention, and other outcomes; (2) assess measurement equivalence; and (3) use data analytic plans that yield more information. METHOD: This article includes background information and examples from multiple CTN studies on inclusion, measurement, and data analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Seven recommendations are included for conducting more effective research on REMs.

Therapist adherence in brief strategic family therapy for adolescent drug abusers.

OBJECTIVE: Therapist adherence has been shown to predict clinical outcomes in family therapy. In prior studies, adherence has been represented broadly by core principles and a consistent family (vs. individual) focus. To date, these studies have not captured the range of clinical skills that are represented in complex family-based approaches or examined how variations in these skills predict different clinically relevant outcomes over the course of treatment. In this study, the authors examined the reliability and validity of an observational adherence measure and the relationship between adherence and outcome in a sample of drug-using adolescents who received brief strategic family therapy within a multisite effectiveness study. METHOD: Participants were 480 adolescents (age 12-17) and their family members, who were randomized to the Brief Strategic Family Therapist treatment condition (J. Szapocznik, U. Hervis, & S. Schwartz, 2003) or treatment as usual. The adolescents were mostly male (377 vs. 103 female) and Hispanic (213), whereas 148 were White, and 110 were Black. Therapists were also randomly assigned to treatment condition within agencies. RESULTS: Results supported the proposed factor structure of the adherence measure, providing evidence that it is possible to capture and discriminate between distinct dimensions of family therapy. Analyses demonstrated that the mean levels of the factors varied over time in theoretically and clinically relevant ways and that therapist adherence was associated with engagement and retention in treatment, improvements in family functioning, and reductions in adolescent drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed, including the relevance of these findings on training therapists and studies focusing on mechanisms of action in family therapy.

Parent and child agreement on anxiety disorder symptoms using the DISC predictive scales.

Growing recognition of the negative impact of anxiety disorders in the lives of youth has made their identification an important clinical task. Multiple perspective assessment (e.g., parents, children) is generally considered a preferred method in the assessment of anxiety disorder symptoms, although it has been generally thought that disagreement between parent and youth ratings of the child's emotions is common. This study examined parent and child reports of the child's anxiety disorder symptoms using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Predictive Scales (DISC-PS) in a clinic-referred sample of substance using adolescents. Parents and adolescents (N = 480) who were referred for substance abuse treatment were screened for anxiety disorder symptoms using the DISC-PS at pretreatment. Results suggest similar (low) levels of agreement between the parent report and child report versions as found with other anxiety symptom and anxiety disorder measures. Findings provide data on multi-informant agreement and highlight issues in the use of the DISC-PS to identify anxiety problems in youth.

A randomized controlled trial of Structural Ecosystems Therapy for HIV medication adherence and substance abuse relapse prevention.

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse in women with HIV/AIDS overshadows other priorities, including health care. Substance abuse may cause women to avoid health care systems and not adhere to their medication regimen. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of Structural Ecosystems Therapy (SET) relative to a psychoeducational Health Group (HG) in 126 HIV+ women in recovery. SET, a 4-month intervention, focused on building family support for relapse prevention and HIV medication adherence. Over 12-month follow-up, women were assessed for drug use and medication adherence every 2 months; CD4 T-cell count and HIV viral load were assessed every 4 months. RESULTS: Levels of drug use did not differ by condition. There was a significant difference in curvature of the rates of change in drug use with SET increasing and then decreasing and HG decreasing and then increasing. Women in SET were more likely to increase substance abuse services in response to relapse and separate from drug using household members than were women in HG. These two changes explained the decline in drug use observed within SET between 6 and 12 months. SET showed declines in medication adherence but increases in CD4 T-cell count relative to HG. The increase in CD4 T-cell count in SET was related to increasing proportions of women in SET taking antiretroviral medications. CONCLUSION: The results of the trial were mixed. Women in SET did not show better drug use or medication adherence outcomes, but did show improvement in CD4 T-cell count and theoretical mechanisms of action on drug relapse.

Equivalence of family functioning and externalizing behaviors in adolescent substance users of different race/ethnicity.

The Brief Strategic Family Therapy for Adolescent Drug Abuse clinical trial of 480 adolescents boys and girls aged 12 to 17 years and their parents was designed to maximize the chance that a sufficient number of Hispanic and Black adolescents would be included to allow valid subgroup comparisons. Examination of measurement invariance is an important step to ensure valid analysis. Two construct areas important to the analysis of trial results, adolescent problem behaviors, and family functioning showed a high degree of measurement invariance, which allowed valid comparisons of mean baseline differences across groups. Results showed that Black families had significantly higher initial levels of family functioning and lower levels of adolescent externalizing behaviors than either Hispanic or White non-Hispanic families. This pattern is consistent with an increased likelihood of referral of Black adolescents with more severe problems to restricted setting rather than to outpatient drug abuse treatment. This possibility highlights the importance of considering differing baseline characteristics of subgroups prior to assessing differential treatment effectiveness to prevent confounding.

Equivalence of Family Functioning and Externalizing in Adolescent Substance Users of Different Race/Ethnicity.

Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) for Adolescent Drug Abuse clinical trial of 480 adolescents boys and girls age 12 to 17 and their parents was designed to maximize the chance that a sufficient number of Hispanic and Black adolescents would be included to allow valid subgroup comparisons. Examination of measurement invariance is an important step to ensure valid analysis. Two construct areas important to the analysis of trial results, adolescent problem behaviors and family functioning showed a high degree of measurement invariance, which allowed valid comparisons of mean baseline differences across groups. Results showed that Black families had significantly higher initial levels of family functioning and lower levels of adolescent externalizing than either Hispanic or White non-Hispanic families. This pattern is consistent with an increased likelihood of referral of Black adolescents with more severe problems to restricted setting rather than to outpatient drug abuse treatment. This possibility highlights the importance of considering differing baseline characteristics of subgroups prior to assessing differential treatment effectiveness to prevent confounding.