Eliminating (almost) treatment dropout of substance abusing or dependent delinquents through home-based multisystemic therapy

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Abstract
This study examined the effects of an innovative treatment model that was designed to reduce treatment dropout among substance abusing or dependent juvenile offenders. One hundred eighteen delinquents who met diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence were randomly assigned to receive either home-based multisystemic therapy (N=58) or treatment that was provided by the usual community services (N=60). In the multisystemic therapy condition, 98% (N=57) of the families completed a full course of treatment, which lasted an average of 130 days. In contrast, 78% (N=47) of the families assigned to treatment through the usual community services received no mental health or substance abuse treatment in the 5 months after referral. The serious and long-standing problem of high dropout rates in the substance abuse field can be greatly attenuated by services that increase accessibility and place greater responsibility for engagement on service providers.