Multisystemic Therapy(®) : Clinical Overview, Outcomes, and Implementation Research

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Family Therapy
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an evidence-based treatment developed for at-risk youth with antisocial behavior.
• MST has been adapted for various challenging clinical issues faced by youth and their families.
• The treatment is grounded in a social-ecological theoretical framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the theoretical framework, delivery model, intervention strategies, and quality assurance system of Multisystemic Therapy (MST).
• To highlight the extensive evaluation of MST through over 100 peer-reviewed articles.
• To summarize the favorable outcomes and the importance of treatment fidelity.

Main Methods:

• Review of over 100 peer-reviewed outcome and implementation studies on MST.
• Analysis of the social-ecological theoretical framework underpinning MST.
• Examination of the home-based treatment delivery model and quality assurance systems.

Main Results:

• Outcome research demonstrates almost uniformly favorable results for youth and families receiving MST.
• Implementation research confirms the critical role of treatment and program fidelity in achieving positive outcomes.
• MST is one of the most extensively evaluated family-based treatments.

Conclusions:

• Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a well-established and highly evaluated family-based intervention.
• Consistent positive outcomes for youth and families are linked to adherence to treatment protocols (fidelity).
• The evidence base supports MST's effectiveness and the importance of its structured approach.