Skip to main content
Log in

Methods of Engagement in Family-Based Preventive Intervention

  • Published:
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Family-based prevention programs have shown promise in preventing drug use and antisocial behavior in high-risk youth. Multidimensional family prevention (MDFP) is an intensive, family-based counseling program in which a family-specific prevention agenda is crafted with each family. This collaborative, individualized approach to intervention requires a high degree of engagement on the part of families. The main challenges of engagement are discussed, and the main features of an engagement strategy are described: capturing the interest of the family and assessing risk and protective factors within the specific ecological context of the family in order to create a working agenda for preventive intervention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ashery, R. S. (Ed.). (1998). Drug abuse prevention through family interventions. National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986). Ecology of the family as a context for human development. Developmental Psychology, 22, 723–742.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, G. S., & Liddle, H. A. (1996). Resolving therapeutic impasses between parents and adolescents in multidimensional family therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 35, 6–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, G. S., & Liddle, H. A. (1999). Transforming negative parent-adolescent interactions: From impasse to dialogue. Family Process, 38(1), 5–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T., & Andrews, D. W. (1995). Preventing escalation in problem behaviors with high-risk young adolescents: Immediate and 1–year outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 538–548.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T., French, D. C., & Patterson, G. R. (1995). The development and ecology of antisocial behavior. In D. Cicchetti & D. J. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology, Vol. 2 (pp. 421–471). New York: Wiley-Interscience.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleuridas, C., Nelson, T. S., & Rosenthal, D. M. (1986). The evolution of circular questions: Training family therapists. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 12, 113–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottman, J. M. (1997). A scientifically-based marital therapy: Clinician's Manual. Seattle, WA: The Seattle Marital and Family Institute, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 64–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogue, A., & Liddle, H. A. (1999). Family-based preventive intervention: An approach to preventing substance use and antisocial behavior. Amercian Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 69, 278–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogue, A., Liddle, H. A., & Becker, D. (in press). Multidimensional family prevention for at-risk adolescents. In T. Patterson (Ed.), Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy, volume II: Cognitive/Behavioral/Functional.

  • Hogue, A., Liddle, H. A., Becker, D., & Johnson-Leckrone, J. (2002). Family-based prevention counseling for high-risk young adolescents: Immediate outcomes. Journal of Community Psychology.

  • Jessor, R. (1993). Successful adolescent development among youth in high risk settings. American Psychologist, 48, 117–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E. (2000). Perceived barriers to treatment participation and treatment acceptability among antisocial children and their families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 9, 157–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumpfer, K. L., & Alvarado, R. (1995). Strengthening families to prevent drug use in multiethnic youth. In G. J. Botvin, S. Schinke, & M. A. Orlandi (Eds.), Drug abuse prevention with multiethnic youth (pp. 255–294). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumpfer, G. P., Molgaard, V., & Spoth, R. (1996). The Strengthening Families Program for the prevention of delinquency and drug use. In R. D. Peters & R. J. McMahon (Eds.), Preventing childhood disorders, substance abuse, and delinquency (pp. 241–267). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liddle, H. A. (1996). Family-based treatment for adolescent problem behaviors: Overview of contemporary developments and introduction to the special section. Journal of Family Psychology, 10, 3—11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liddle, H. A., & Hogue, A. (2000). A family-based, developmental-ecological preventive intervention for high-risk adolescents. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 26, 265–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • McMahon, R. J., Slough, N. M., & Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group (1996). Family-based intervention in the Fast Track Program. In R. D. Peters & R. J. McMahon (Eds.), Preventing childhood disorders, substance abuse, and delinquency (pp. 90–110). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minuchin, S., & Fishman, H. C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, J. B. (1993). Prevention of conduct disorder before and after school entry: Relating interventions to developmental findings. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 243–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Resnick, M. D., Bearman, P. S., Blum, R. W., Bauman, K. E., Harris, K. M., Jones, J., Tabor, J., Beuhring, T., Sieving, R. E., Shew, M., Ireland, M., Bearinger, L. H., & Udry, J. R. (1998). Protecting adolescents from harm: Findings from the national longitudinal study on adolescent health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278, 823–831.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spoth, R., Redmond, C., & Shin, C. (1998). Direct and indirect latent-variable parenting outcomes of two universal family-focused preventive interventions: Extending a public health-oriented research base. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 385–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wachtel, P. L. (1993). Therapeutic communication: Principles and effective practice. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Becker, D., Hogue, A. & Liddle, H.A. Methods of Engagement in Family-Based Preventive Intervention. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 19, 163–179 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014550507467

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014550507467

Navigation