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Rigorous randomized trials that test promising culturally centered treatments for Latino youth and families are needed. This study adds to the knowledge base by comparing the efficacy of Culturally Informed and Flexible Family Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) to an Individually Oriented Treatment‐As‐Usual (ITAU) in its ability to retain Latino youth and families in treatment, reduce internalizing and externalizing child symptoms, and improve family functioning. CIFFTA uses an adaptive/flexible approach to deliver individual therapy, family therapy, and psycho‐educational modules tailored to each family's unique clinical and cultural characteristics. Two hundred Latino adolescents 11–14 years of age completed a baseline assessment, were randomly assigned to CIFFTA or ITAU, then were assessed again after 16 weeks of intervention. Results show that CIFFTA had significantly higher retention (83%) than ITAU (71%), OR = 2.05, p =.036. Youth in both conditions showed significant reductions in youth and parent reported externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and there were no differences in change between conditions. Parents in CIFFTA reported significantly greater reductions in family conflict, d = 0.38, p =.025 than in ITAU. In CIFFTA, children of less acculturated Latino parents showed more improvement than the children of more acculturated parents. In ITAU, the reverse was true, children of more acculturated parents reported more improvement. This evidence of CIFFTA's impact on retention, family conflict, and differential effect depending on cultural values and behaviors, has important implications for the field of Latino psychology and family treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family interventions have been shown to be effective for adolescents with behavior problems. Current literature supports both adaptive treatments and technology-assisted interventions as highly promising innovations for treating at-risk adolescents. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and test the efficacy of a computer-assisted version of an established office-based multicomponent family therapy. Eighty Hispanic and Black Non-Hispanic adolescents and their families participated in the study and were randomized to either Immediate Computer-Assisted CIFFTA or Delayed Computer-Assisted CIFFTA. Significant between-groups effects were found from baseline to posttreatment showing the superiority of the Immediate CA CIFFTA condition on both the Conduct Disorder (B = -5.17, SE = 1.73, p < .01, CI [-8.55, -1.79]) and Socialized Aggression (B = -2.04, SE = .83, p < .05, CI [-3.67, -.41]) subscales of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist, on the Youth Self Report Externalizing scale (B = -4.22, SE = 1.40, p < .01, CI [-6.95, -1.48]), and on both the parent (B = 1.34, SE = .50, p < .01, CI [.36, 2.32]) and adolescent (B = 1.31, SE = .46, p < .01, CI [.41, 2.21]) reports of the Family Environment Scale’s family cohesion subscale. Baseline to 6-weeks posttreatment (T1-T3) analyses showed that these significant within-subjects effects were sustained for the treatment group. Results highlight that adolescent behavior problems can be significantly impacted by a computer-assisted intervention that replaces psychoeducational face-to-face meetings with computer-delivered modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined data from 200 families to investigate whether family functioning and adolescent psychiatric symptomatology were associated with differential attendance in a family-based or individually focused intervention for Latino adolescents. Latent profile analysis was used to identify families, and regression models were used to examine whether profiles exhibited differential attendance. Overall, three latent profiles were observed. The first described families where parents and adolescents reported discrepancies on psychiatric symptoms and family conflict. The second profile described families with elevated adolescent psychiatric symptoms but no family conflict. The third profile described families with low family cohesion and high levels of adolescent psychiatric symptoms. For this third profile, attendance in family-based treatment was significantly higher than in individual treatment. Results indicate that a family-based intervention may be better able to address issues of poor family cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this randomized trial was to investigate the efficacy of 2 behavioral treatments focusing on different change mechanisms in ameliorating a borderline personality disorder constellation of behaviors and substance use in adolescents referred by juvenile diversion programs. Methods: Forty adolescents 14-17 years of age and meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders were randomized to integrative borderline personality disorder-oriented adolescent family therapy (I-BAFT) or individual drug counseling. This design allowed a comparison of 2 manualized interventions, 1 family based and 1 individually oriented. Profiles of clinical change were used to detect impact and estimate treatment effect sizes. Results: Primary analyses showed that both interventions had a clinically significant impact on borderline personality disorder behaviors 12 months after baseline but with no differential treatment effects. The impact on substance use was more complex. Subgroup analyses revealed that adolescents with depression had significantly more severe profiles of borderline personality disorder and substance use. These youths were the only group to show reductions in substance use, but they only did so if they received the I-BAFT intervention. Study data also documented the high dosage of intensive residential treatment needed by this population. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Results highlight the intensive treatment needs of juvenile justice-involved youths with co-occurring substance use and borderline personality disorder including depression, the hybrid outpatient and residential treatment often required by this population, and the promise of a family-oriented approach, particularly for youths with severe symptoms and co-occurring depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small randomized trial investigated a new family-based intervention for Hispanic adolescents who met DSM-IV criteria for substance abuse disorder. The Culturally Informed and Flexible Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) is a tailored/adaptive intervention that includes a flexible treatment manual and multiple treatment components. The study used an "add on" design to isolate the effects on substance abuse, behavior problems, and parenting practices attributable to the newly developed components. Twenty-eight Hispanic adolescents and their families were randomized either to the experimental treatment or to traditional family therapy (TFT) and were assessed at baseline and 8-month follow-up. Despite the small sample, results revealed statistically significant time x treatment effects on both self-reported drug use (marijuana + cocaine), F(1, 22) = 10.59, p < .01, η² = .33 and adolescent reports of parenting practices, F(1, 22) = 9.01, p < .01, η² = .29. Both sets of analyses favored CIFFTA participants. There was a significant time x treatment effect, F(1, 22) = 6.72, p = .02, η² = .23, favoring CIFFTA on parent report of parenting practices using a composite that matched the variables used for adolescents, but only a nonsignificant trend, F(1, 22) = 2.43, p =. 13, η² =. 10, with a composite that used all parenting subscales. Parent reports of adolescent behavior problems did not show a significant time or time x treatment effect. These results show the promise of this adaptive treatment for substance abuse in Hispanic adolescents and suggest the need for a larger randomized trial to fully investigate this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present key lessons that we have learned from (1) a long program of research on an empirically supported treatment, brief strategic family therapy (BSFT), and (2) our ongoing research and training efforts related to transporting BSFT to the front lines of practice. After briefly presenting the rationale for working with the family when addressing behavior problems and substance abuse in adolescent populations, particularly among Hispanic adolescents, we summarize key findings from our 30-year program of research. The article closes by identifying barriers to the widespread adoption of empirically supported treatments and by presenting current work within the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network that attempts to address these barriers and obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents specialized family therapy intervention strategies for Hispanic families with behavior-problem adolescents who have experienced an immigration-related separation. Such specialized interventions correspond to a philosophy of customized treatment delivery for His- panic families. Interactional and cognitive/affective features are presented, and guidelines for building therapeutic alliances, identifying core family processes/themes, and transforming interactions are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the efficacy of brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) with Hispanic behavior problem and drug using youth, an underrepresented population in the family therapy research literature. One hundred twenty-six Hispanic families with a behavior problem adolescent were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions: BSFT or group treatment control (GC). Results showed that, compared to GC cases, BSFT cases showed significantly greater pre- to post-intervention improvement in parent reports of adolescent conduct problems and delinquency, adolescent reports of marijuana use, and observer ratings and self reports of family functioning. These results extend prior findings on the efficacy of family interventions to a difficult to treat Hispanic adolescent sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the effectiveness of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) on adolescents. Comparison between BSFT and Community Control (CC); Difference in the rates of engagement between families assigned to BSFT; Conclusions on the effectiveness of BSFT over CC.