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Emerging Methods in Family Research pp 231–244Cite as

Optimizing Family Intervention Programs: The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST)

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Part of the book series: National Symposium on Family Issues ((NSFI,volume 4))

Abstract

Multicomponent behavioral interventions are an important vehicle for improving the well-being of families. Evidence-based family interventions are those that have been evaluated by a randomized clinical trial (RCT). This chapter introduces to the family research community an alternative to sole reliance on the RCT, namely the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST). MOST is a comprehensive, engineering-inspired framework for optimization and evaluation of behavioral interventions. MOST includes the RCT, but also includes additional experimentation aimed at assessing the effectiveness of individual intervention components. In this chapter MOST is illustrated via a hypothetical example of an adolescent substance use treatment program. A number of considerations related to the use of MOST in family research are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Award Number P50DA010075-15 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health. The author thanks Amanda Applegate for editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Methodology Center, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Linda M. Collins PhD

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  1. Linda M. Collins PhD
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Correspondence to Linda M. Collins PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Human Develop. & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan M. McHale

  2. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Paul Amato

  3. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Alan Booth

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Collins, L. (2014). Optimizing Family Intervention Programs: The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST). In: McHale, S., Amato, P., Booth, A. (eds) Emerging Methods in Family Research. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01562-0_14

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