Multisystemic Treatment of Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents [Hardcover]

Scott W. Henggler (Author), Charles M. Borduin (Author), Sonja K. Schoenwald (Author), Susan G. Pickrel (Author), Melisa D. Rowland (Author), Phillippe B. Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572301066 | ISBN-13: 978-1572301061 | Publication Date: April 24, 1998 | Edition: 1

Severe antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents has been extremely difficult to change, and the out-of-home methods often used are expensive, may not work, and usually leave the families without a voice in the process. Providing an alternative approach, this book presents a Multisystematic Treatment MST That Focuses On Promoting Behaviour changes within the child's family, peer and school networks. This home and community-based approach is an intensive, short-term treatment that is cost-effective, family inclusive, and has demonstrated both short and long-term effectiveness with families of different cultures and socioeconomic statuses. Following a complete overview of the empirical, conceptual, philosophical and clinical foundations of MST, chapters provide guidelines for implementing MST, including: assessing of family functions, working within the school setting, funding community supports, and conducting individually-orientated intervention. The book concludes with outcomes from controlled evaluations and implications for future policies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This well-written and informative book presents the theory, research, and practice of Multisystemic Treatment as it is applied to antisocial youths, their families, and their communities. Including numerous case illustrations of interventions with diverse families, the authors provide a rich and rewarding model of empirically supported, clinically sensitive practice at its best. Managed care companies and federal funding agencies should take note: This is a treatment approach whose time has come." --Thomas H. Ollendick, PhD, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech

"Multisystemic Treatment (MST) is a family-focused, strengths-based approach that addresses client problems in their diverse social-ecological context. Bolstered by controlled outcome studies, MST has engendered greater optimism in our efforts to curtail antisocial behavior and related refractory conditions in youths. Delineating the key processes and procedures for implementing MST with this population, this practical book presents a useful conceptual framework, clear assessment and intervention guidelines, tips to enhance effectiveness in various settings, and helpful case examples. Clinicians will appreciate the authors' emphasis on tailoring the treatment to fit the problem, rather than attempting the reverse." --David J. Kolko, PhD, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

"Multisystemic treatment has changed the face of intervention for antisocial behavior in young people, taking therapists out of their offices and inserting them into the settings where youngsters live their lives and go astray. The intuitive appeal of MST is matched by impressive scientific support. The treatment works--and with some of the most troubled and troubling youth in our society. This engaging book tells the story of MST: its theoretical and empirical foundation, basic principles, strategies for success in each of the youth's life contexts, and supporting evidence. The book is a rich resource for practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in mental health and juvenile justice. It is a theoretical statement, a how-to manual, an empirical report, and an inspiring story, all in a single volume." --John R. Weisz, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

"Every once in a while, there appears a breakthrough book in psychotherapy. This book is a monumental achievement, representing the productive interaction of solid clinical science and rich, creative, and practical clinical thinking and practice. The multisystemic model achieves impressive results in engagement and outcomes with challenging clinical problems. Importantly, these results have been produced in the context of well conceived and conducted clinical research over many years. With lucid and lively writing, the book brings to life the complexity and richness of a powerful, and effective treatment model. Simply put, it is the most authoritative, and best available book for clinicians working with this population." --Howard A. Liddle, EdD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Center for Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse, University of Miami School of Medicine

About the Author

Scott W. Henggeler, PhD

Sonja K. Schoenwald, PhD

Charles M. Borduin, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia

Melisa D. Rowland, MD

Phillippe B. Cunningham, PhD, Family Services Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (April 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572301066
• ISBN-13: 978-1572301061
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Treatment Manual, January 8, 2004

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Multisystemic Treatment of Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents (Hardcover)

Therapists working with adolescent delinquency problems have long lamented the paucity of effective treatments. Fortunately, the innovative researchers who wrote this book have developed a delinquency treatment with documented effectiveness - multisystemic treatment (MST). This manual presents the basic tenets of MST, which consist of nine principles. MST is a comprehensive treatment that targets not only the youth's behavior but also family and community factors. The treatment acknowledges that adolescents with delinquency problems are affected by factors in their environments, such as delinquent peers, parents who do not monitor their behavior, or poor educational opportunities. Thus, the treatment is usually conducted in the home and other relevant settings.

The goal of MST is to decrease rates of antisocial behavior and prevent the youth from being removed from the home; research has documented that MST meets these goals, as well as being a tremendously cost-effective treatment. I have used this treatment with a number of clients with great success (I was trained by Dr. Borduin). A prior reviewer pointed out that one should know about the authors of a psychology book before purchasing it; fortunately, the authors of this book come with excellent credentials. Drs. Henggeler, Schoenwald, Rowland, and Cunningham are on the faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Dr. Borduin is a Professor at the University of Missouri. In addition, their research on the treatment has been published in many peer-reviewed journals, including:

Henggeler, et al. (1999). Home-based multisystemic therapy as an alternative to the hospitalization of youths in psychiatric crisis: Clinical outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 38(11), 1331-1339.

Henggeler, et al. (1996). Multisystemic therapy: An effective violence prevention approach for serious juvenile offenders. Journal of Adolescence, 19(1), 47-61.

The manual is very well-written and easy to follow; the authors use many examples to explain the treatment implementation. Clearly this manual and MST itself have tremendous strengths. The basic tenets and principles are likely to be useful to any child/adolescent therapist, although some office-based therapists may not be able to use a pure MST model. A most highly recommended treatment guide.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Change the world of high risk kids and our world, April 21, 2002

By 

Dennis Embry "DrPAXIS" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Multisystemic Treatment of Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents (Hardcover)

I own this book. If you have a really troubled kid, you are a state or local leader, you are an agency person working with kids, your a poliician or someone who cares about the future. READ this book. Yes it's dry. Yes it's technical. So is reading about the new cancer medication that might save your life or the new HIV-vaccine research or or the new brain scan literature. Embedded insiide the methods of MST are strategies that really turn about the lives of kids, families and communities. What is inspiring is that the model presented REALLY works. What a concept! All across America-counselors, families, juvenile justice folks, school people are pulling their hair out on what to do about really difficult kids. Too, often the answer is: Throw 'em out, drug 'em out, and lock 'em up. Well, they get out eventially. MST can change all of that. It is cost effective. It has science. It has people who are doing it well all over the world.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for the job., June 11, 2007

By 

ph2072 "Me Myself & I" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multisystemic Treatment of Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents (Hardcover)

Having been trained differently than what this book discusses, it's a little hard to wrap one's mind around the concepts, especially since people in my profession are used to a certain way of thinking and training. However, when put into practice and when read with an open mind, the book makes absolute sense. I am in the beginning stages of MST and hope that it not only works out for the population in my area, but that I can one day be an MST expert.