Family Functioning Outcomes
“Before, we used to fight and hate each other, and she was screaming and going to her room. And now we fight and she then comes and she says, 'Mom please tell me that you love me', and I say 'Yes, I love you. I love you more than you think.' And we sit down and discuss our problems without screaming and saying bad things to each other.”
— MDFT mom at University of Miami Clinic
MDFT reduces family conflict, increases family cohesion, and improves parenting skills to a greater extent than standard alternative treatments.
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare gave MDFT its highest possible rating for scientific support
MDFT in Randomized Clinical Trials
MDFT in the Community
What People Are Saying
“Inpatient MDFT helped diminish problems for the adolescent. MDFT improved functioning within the family. These are remarkable findings. They suggest that after often long periods of disrupted or troubled family life, family members can still reconnect.”
— Hoogeveen et al., 2017
“I like that it is very comprehensive and adaptable. They even deal with the parent’s substance abuse and mental health. A lot of programs either refuse to serve youth whose parents have addiction problems or they ignore the problem. MDFT has a clinical protocol to follow if the parent has a substance misuse or mental health issue. They motivate the parents and help them access their own treatment, and they also use this issue to fuel change in the youth and in the family interaction.”
— Peter Panzarellla, Private Behavioral Health Consultant
Retired, Statewide Director of Substance Abuse Services
State of Connecticut Department of Children & Families
Want to learn more?
Sources
Henderson, C. E., Rowe, C. L., Dakof, G. A., Hawes, S. W., & Liddle, H. A. (2009). Parenting practices as mediators of treatment effects in an early-intervention trial of Multidimensional Family Therapy. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35, 220-226. doi: 10.1080/00952990903005890