Independent Reviews

MDFT is One of the Most Effective Interventions for Youth Substance Use and Antisocial Behavior

Independent Reviews by National and International Experts

Treatment completion among justice-involved youth engaged in behavioral health treatment studies in the United States: A systemic review and meta-analysis
Couple and family therapy for substance use disorders: Evidence-based update 2010-2019
The effectiveness of Multidimensional Family Therapy in treating adolescents with multiple behavior problems – a meta-analysis
Gender and ethnicity as moderators: Integrative data analysis of Multidimensional Family Therapy randomized clinical trials
Multidimensional Family Therapy for adolescent drug users: A systemic review
A tale of two systems: Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders treatment for adolescents.
Holistic therapy preferable for troubled teens

What People Are Saying

“While MDFT and Multisystemic Therapy (MST) have similar treatment foci and theoretical underpinnings, MDFT has stronger empirical support, with replicated sustained results. It also requires fewer service hours than MST and, as an office-based intervention, is less costly and labor-intensive than MST.”

— Perepletchikova, et al., (2009)

“The most effective counseling treatment for adolescents with cannabis use is MDFT.”

— Wozney et al., (2016)

“MDFT was the only intervention that demonstrated clinically significant changes in substance use and large effect sizes at post-treatment, as well as the two follow-up assessments.”

— Austin et al., (2009)

“MDFT was associated with fewer felony arrests and less substance use at 24-month follow-up compared with adolescent group therapy.”

— Ledgerwood & Cunningham (2019)

“MDFT affects a broad range of domains which may be explained by the multifocal approach of MDFT. An important finding, enhancing the applicability of MDFT is that this therapy appeared to be similarly effective for boys and girls and for adolescents with different ages, SES, and ethnic backgrounds. MDFT can be regarded as a valuable therapy, especially when treating the most challenging group of youth.”

— van der Pol, et al., (2017)

“We run a continuum of services: school-based, prevention, outpatient, in- home, residential What’s great about this model is it fits into each of those areas. This model wraps everything around the family. It is all-inclusive and flexible and works with kids 9 – 26. It is a model that is very wholistic. Helping families communicate and get along and move forward. It helps the caregivers as well as the identified client. As a provider this is the type of program we want to run because we know they get results.”

—Dan Rezende
CEO, Connecticut Junior Republic
Waterbury CT

See All Independent Reviews