Modifying Multisystemic Therapy with Telehealth to Expand Reach: Preliminary Feasibility and Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an evidence-based intervention for adolescents with serious antisocial behavior and substance use.
• Standard MST delivery faces challenges in reaching families in rural or underserved areas, limiting access to care.
• Telehealth-enhanced MST aims to expand service reach while maintaining treatment fidelity and clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the preliminary feasibility of telehealth-enhanced MST.
• To assess the effectiveness of telehealth-enhanced MST compared to standard MST delivery.
• To determine if telehealth modifications compromise MST fidelity or clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study utilized a quasi-experimental, multi-informant design.
• Five therapists delivered telehealth-enhanced MST to 29 adolescents.
• A propensity score-matched comparison group received standard MST delivery.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found in youth placement status or new arrests between groups.
• Telehealth-enhanced MST demonstrated high fidelity to the MST model.
• Clinical outcomes for telehealth-enhanced MST were comparable to standard MST delivery.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth-enhanced MST is a feasible and acceptable modification to standard MST.
• This approach preserves MST's effectiveness while improving accessibility.
• Findings support the use of telehealth strategies in family therapy for community-based settings.