TITLE:
Predictors of Effectiveness in a Multifamily Therapy Program for Adolescents with Externalizing Behaviors
AUTHORS:
Josh Feldblyum, Dahra Jackson Williams, John P. Walker, Susan Jackson-Walker
KEYWORDS:
Children and Adolescents, Behavioral Health Services, Externalizing Behavior, Family Communication, Parental Attitude
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Service Science and Management,
Vol.7 No.3,
June
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: Severe
externalizing behavior among adolescents is a significant societal problem, in
terms of both emotional and financial costs. Much research has focused on
factors that increase or decrease the risk of adolescents developing such
behavior. In addition, various treatment methods have been developed to address
this problem, with promising results under some circumstances. The present
study examined archival data from one multifamily therapy program to examine
potential predictors of the effectiveness of treatment. These predictors were
communication style and relationship quality between parents and adolescents,
as well as parents’ readiness for change. Parent-adolescent relationship
quality and communication style were both found to significantly predict
treatment outcomes in some, but not all, problem areas examined. Parent
readiness did not predict treatment outcomes. Results have implications for
improving the clinical outcomes of family treatment programs.