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Multiple Family Groups for Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Child Outcomes at 6-Month Follow-Up

Geetha Gopalan1, Anil Chacko2, Lydia Franco3

  • 1School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.

Journal of Child and Family Studies
|September 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Multiple Family Group (MFG) intervention showed sustained improvements in child behavior and reduced impairment for youth with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) over six months. This approach offers long-term benefits for families in community mental health settings.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychology
  • Behavioral Health Interventions
  • Family Therapy Research

Background:

  • Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs) significantly impact youth development and family functioning.
  • Socioeconomically disadvantaged families often face barriers to accessing effective mental health services.
  • Community-based outpatient mental health agencies serve a critical role in delivering accessible care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the 6-month effectiveness of a Multiple Family Group (MFG) intervention for clinic-referred youth (aged 7-11) with DBDs.
  • To compare MFG outcomes against services-as-usual (SAU) in socioeconomically disadvantaged families.
  • To assess long-term impacts on child behavior, social skills, and functional impairment.

Main Methods:

  • A block comparison design was employed across urban community-based mental health agencies.
  • The MFG intervention was facilitated by clinic providers and family partner advocates.
  • Parent-report measures were collected at baseline, mid-test, post-test, and 6-month follow-up, analyzed with mixed-effects regression modeling.

Main Results:

  • MFG participants showed significant improvements in child behavior at 6-month follow-up compared to SAU.
  • The MFG intervention led to a significant reduction in the impact of behavior on peer relationships.
  • Overall impairment and need for services were significantly reduced in the MFG group.

Conclusions:

  • The Multiple Family Group (MFG) intervention demonstrates sustained positive outcomes for youth with DBDs and their families.
  • MFG is a viable and effective approach for community-based mental health services, offering long-term benefits.
  • Findings have implications for healthcare system transformation and the delivery of family-centered mental health care.

Keywords:
Child disruptive behavior disordersEffectiveness trialsInner-city communitiesService deliverySocioeconomically disadvantaged communities

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