Familias Unidas | Plataforma de Evidencias

This is a multilevel family program for Hispanic families with adolescent children. The goal is to prevent problematic behaviors that start in adolescence through parent training and the creation of a culturally relevant support network.
The intervention is guided by a facilitator in three steps:
1) Involvement of parents in the intervention and promotion of cohesion among parent group participants.
2) Presentation of the three main adolescent “worlds” (family, friends, school) and specific parental concerns within each world (e.g., disobedience within the family and school problems).
3) Stimulation of the parenting skills needed to reduce adolescents’ problematic behavior and improve school performance. In this third phase, group sessions are interspersed with family visits.

Impact evaluations

Impact evaluation studies showed that the program resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the prevention and reduction of cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, sexual risk behaviors [1] [2], and conduct problems in youth [1], and an increase in the prevention or reduction of externalizing disorders [3]. Parents experienced increased investment and communication with their children [2]. However, no significant impact was observed on school bonding or academic performance among program participants [3].
The first study involved a sample of 167 Hispanic families with adolescent children, sixth- and seventh-graders, stratified by grade within each school and randomly assigned to intervention and non-intervention conditions [1]. The second involved a sample of 242 Hispanic adolescents aged 12-17 years, 120 of whom were in the intervention group treated by the program and 122 in the control group treated using common community practices [2]. The third study had a sample of 213 eighth-grade adolescents who were randomly divided between two interventions: Families Together or Community Control [3].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Pantin, H., Coatsworth, J. D., Feaster, D. J., Newman, F. L., Briones, E., Prado, G., Schwartz, S. J., Szapocznik, J. (2003). Familias Unidas: The efficacy of an intervention to promote parental investment in Hispanic immigrant families. Prevention Science: The Official Journal of the Society for Prevention Research, 4(3), 189–201. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1024601906942

[2] Prado, G., Pantin, H., Briones, E., Schwartz, S. J., Feaster, D., Huang, S., Sullivan, S., Tapia, M. I., Sabillon, E., Lopez, B., Szapocznik, J. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of a parent-centered intervention in preventing substance use and HIV risk behaviors in Hispanic adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75(6), 914–926. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.75.6.914

[3] Pantin, H., Prado, G., Lopez, B., Huang, S., Tapia, M. I., Schwartz, S. J., Sabillon, E., Brown, C. H., Branchini, J. (2009). A randomized controlled trial of Familias Unidas for Hispanic adolescents with behavior problems. Psychosomatic Medicine, 71(9), 987–995. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181bb2913

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