Affiliated Studies

Cannabis Youth Treatment Study

CSAT, Grant # 5UR4 TI11323

G. S. Diamond and H. Liddle

In this CSAT-funded cross-site study, MDFT was compared to standard group treatment for marijuana dependent adolescents. 100 adolescents ages 12 to 18 who met criteria for marijuana dependence comprised the study sample. Youth were randomly assigned to either MDFT or group treatment, both of which lasted for 12 weeks. Six month and one year follow data were collected to measure treatment outcomes. Investigators were also interested in determining mechanisms of change in the two treatments.

Family Therapy for Adolescent Alcohol Abuse

NIAA, Grant # AA12178

D. Stanton and H. Liddle

This NIAAA-funded study addresses the persistent need for treatment services among adolescent alcohol abusers. The objective of the study is to compare the effectiveness of two different modalities for adolescent alcohol abusers, state-of-the-art family therapy, and a standard adolescent group intervention. Both approaches were developed specifically targeting adolescent alcohol problems. Participants in the study include 140 males and females between the ages of 13 and 17, all of whom are diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence. Adolescents are randomly assigned to the two treatments, both of which last approximately 4 months with 2 additional months of aftercare. Outcomes are measures at termination, 1 year post-treatment, and 2 years post-treatment.

Mediators of Change in Family Therapy with Drug Abusing Adolescents

NIDA, Grant # R03 DA12452-01

A. Hogue

This study seeks to identify family-related treatment processes associated with reducing drug use in a primarily urban, African American, juvenile justice-involved sample. The attempt to illuminate links between specific therapeutic interventions and positive treatment outcomes is vital to developing more effective, targeted, and transportable therapy models. First, the study examines the importance of therapist efforts to centralize family members and family issues in the treatment process. Subjects include 86 adolescents randomly assigned to family-based or individual-based therapy. Measures of adolescent drug use and family functioning and videotaped therapy sessions and therapist contact logs are reviewed to assess the degree of family involvement in each treatment condition. Structural equation modeling will be used to test the following mediational hypotheses: family therapy will lead to comparatively greater reduction in drug use by means of involving family members to a greater extent in treatment, and moreover, it will produce these gains by means of improving family functioning over the course of therapy.  Second, the study explores the success of family therapy in enhancing a crucial ingredient of healthy adolescent development: autonomous-relatedness family interactions.  A subsample of 18 family therapy and 11 individual therapy cases participated in family interaction tasks that are coded for family behaviors that support individuation while also providing a secure relationship base for the adolescent.  Exploratory correlational analyses will be used to test the hypotheses that family therapy will produce greater gains in autonomous-relatedness and that these gains will be associated with improvement in adolescent drug use and other aspects of family functioning.  This study is among the first to use observational methods for linking family-focused interventions with outcome and for exploring changes in developmentally pivotal family processes in treatment for substance-abusing adolescents.