Ecologically Based Family Therapy (EBFT) for Substance-Abusing Runaway Adolescents
Problems addressed
Drug abuse
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Teenagers (14 to 17 years)
Where the program was applied
Residential - Mental health or therapeutic community services
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a therapy program for adolescents aged 12 to 17 who are in institutional care, as well as their families. The program aims to reduce the consumption of psychoactive substances and change dysfunctional family dynamics.
The treatment lasts 16 sessions of 50 minutes each, in which the family and adolescents are prepared for a reunion, having discussed issues proposed by the therapist that advance solutions to the dysfunctionalities that contribute to the adolescents’ problems.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that, within 15 months of taking part in the program, adolescents reported less substance use when compared to those in the control group, who received the usual sessions in institutional care [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Slesnick, N. y Prestopnik, J. L. (2009). Comparison of family therapy outcome with alcohol-abusing, runaway adolescents. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(3), 255–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00121.x

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