Considerations for minority ethnic young people in multisystemic therapy

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Work
• Cultural Studies

Background:

• Multisystemic therapy (MST) is recognized for treating youth antisocial behaviors.
• Minority ethnic youth may have unique experiences with therapeutic interventions.
• Cultural factors can significantly influence engagement and treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore minority ethnic young people's experiences with Multisystemic Therapy (MST).
• To identify factors within MST that facilitate or hinder engagement and change for this population.
• To understand how cultural elements impact the therapeutic process for minority ethnic youth.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing constructivist grounded theory analysis.
• Conducted seven semi-structured interviews with London-based minority ethnic youth who participated in MST.
• Analyzed interview data to identify culture-specific theoretical codes.

Main Results:

• Emergence of culture-specific codes related to family culture, acculturation, and cultural identity.
• Practitioner's role as a cultural broker was significant.
• Cultural differences in the therapeutic relationship and therapist characteristics influenced engagement.

Conclusions:

• MST practice can be enhanced to better serve minority ethnic youth.
• Importance of culturally sensitive training and supervision for therapists.
• Addressing acculturation and therapist cultural factors is crucial for effective MST.