Author(s)

Josh Feldblyum^1*, Dahra Jackson Williams¹, John P. Walker², Susan Jackson-Walker²

¹Department of Psychology, La Salle University, Philadelphia, USA.
²Department of Family Services, Loudoun County, USA.

Severe externalizing behavior among adolescents is a significant societal problem, in terms of both emotional and financial costs. Much research has focused on factors that increase or decrease the risk of adolescents developing such behavior. In addition, various treatment methods have been developed to address this problem, with promising results under some circumstances. The present study examined archival data from one multifamily therapy program to examine potential predictors of the effectiveness of treatment. These predictors were communication style and relationship quality between parents and adolescents, as well as parents’ readiness for change. Parent-adolescent relationship quality and communication style were both found to significantly predict treatment outcomes in some, but not all, problem areas examined. Parent readiness did not predict treatment outcomes. Results have implications for improving the clinical outcomes of family treatment programs.

Children and Adolescents, Behavioral Health Services, Externalizing Behavior, Family Communication, Parental Attitude

Feldblyum, J. , Williams, D. , Walker, J. and Jackson-Walker, S. (2014) Predictors of Effectiveness in a Multifamily Therapy Program for Adolescents with Externalizing Behaviors. Journal of Service Science and Management, 7, 245-259. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2014.73022.