Brief Strategic Family Therapy

This is a brief therapeutic intervention to assist adolescents from 12 to 18 years old. The objective is to improve family interactions, reduce risk factors associated with drug abuse, and reinforce protective factors.
The treatment period is three to four months, with 12 to 16 sessions, 60 to 90 minutes each. Each meeting is attended by the adolescent and one or more family members.

Impact evaluations

Impact evaluation studies evidence significant reductions in conduct disorder [1] and juvenile criminality [2], promising improvements in externalizing behavior problems [2] [3], lower rates of drug abuse [2] [3] [4] or days of use [5], lower lifetime arrest rates, and lower rates of serving long sentences [2].
Significant reductions in alcohol abuse by parents or guardians of adolescent program participants and improved family functioning were observed [4].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Coatsworth, J. D., Santisteban, D. A., McBride, C. K. y Szapocznik, J. (2001). Brief Strategic Family Therapy versus community control: Engagement, retention, and an exploration of the moderating role of adolescent symptom severity. Family Process, 40(3), 313–332. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2001.4030100313.x

[2] Horigian, VE, Feaster, DJ, Robbins, MS, Brincks, AM, Ucha, J., Rohrbaugh, MJ, Shoham, V., Bachrach, K., Miller, M., Burlew, AK, Hodgkins, CC, Carrion, IS, Silverstein, M., Werstlein, R., & Szapocznik, J. (2015). Uma avaliação transversal dos efeitos a longo prazo da Terapia Familiar Estratégica Breve para o uso de substâncias em adolescentes. The American Journal on Addictions, 24 (7), 637-645. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12278

[3] Santisteban, D. A., Coatsworth, J. D., Perez-Vidal, A., Kurtines, W. M., Schwartz, S. J., LaPerriere, A. y Szapocznik, J. (2003). Efficacy of brief strategic family therapy in modifying Hispanic adolescent behavior problems and substance use. Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 17(1), 121–133. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.17.1.121

[4] Horigian, VE, Feaster, DJ, Brincks, A., Robbins, MS, Perez, MA e Szapocznik, J. (2015). Os efeitos da Terapia Familiar Estratégica Breve (BSFT) no uso de substâncias pelos pais e a associação entre o uso de substâncias pelos pais e adolescentes. Addictive Behaviors, 42, 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.10.02

[5] Robbins, M. S., Feaster, D. J., Horigian, V. E., Rohrbaugh, M., Shoham, V., Bachrach, K., Miller, M., Burlew, K. A., Hodgkins, C., Carrion, I., Vandermark, N., Schindler, E., Werstlein, R. y Szapocznik, J. (2011). Brief strategic family therapy versus treatment as usual: Results of a multisite randomized trial for substance using adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(6), 713–727. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025477

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