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Multiple Family Groups for Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Child Outcomes at 6-Month Follow-Up

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Abstract

This paper reports on the 6-month follow-up outcomes of an effectiveness study testing a multiple family group (MFG) intervention for clinic-referred youth (aged 7–11) with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) and their families in socioeconomically disadvantaged families compared to services-as-usual (SAU) using a block comparison design. The settings were urban community-based outpatient mental health agencies. Clinic-based providers and family partner advocates facilitated the MFG intervention. Parent-report measures targeting child behavior, social skills, and impairment across functional domains (i.e., relationships with peers, parents, siblings, and academic progress) were assessed across four timepoints (baseline, mid-test, post-test, and 6-month follow-up) using mixed effects regression modeling. Compared to SAU participants, MFG participants reported significant improvement at 6-month follow-up in child behavior, impact of behavior on relationship with peers, and overall impairment/need for services. Findings indicate that MFG may provide longer-term benefits for youth with DBDs and their families in community-based settings. Implications within the context of a transforming healthcare system are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was obtained through R01 MH072649 (PI: McKay). Salary support for this study also came from NIMH (F32MH090614; Gopalan). Dr. Gopalan is also an investigator with the Implementation Research Institute (IRI), at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis; through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (R25MH080916-01A2) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research & Development Service, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Geetha Gopalan

  2. Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Anil Chacko

  3. Silver School of Social Work, McSilver Institute for Poverty, Policy, and Research, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Lydia Franco, Kara M. Dean-Assael & Mary M. McKay

  4. Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Lauren E. Rotko

  5. Division of Biostatistics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Sue M. Marcus

  6. Department of Child Psychiatry, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Kimberly E. Hoagwood

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  1. Geetha Gopalan
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  2. Anil Chacko
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  3. Lydia Franco
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  4. Kara M. Dean-Assael
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Correspondence to Geetha Gopalan.

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Gopalan, G., Chacko, A., Franco, L. et al. Multiple Family Groups for Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Child Outcomes at 6-Month Follow-Up. J Child Fam Stud 24, 2721–2733 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0074-6

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