Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA.
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011 Oct;79(5):643-52. doi: 10.1037/a0024862.
Although current evidence suggests that the positive effects of multisystemic therapy (MST) on serious crime reach as far as young adulthood, the longer term impact of MST on criminal and noncriminal outcomes in midlife has not been evaluated. In the present study, the authors examined a broad range of criminal and civil court outcomes for serious and violent juvenile offenders who participated on average 21.9 (range = 18.3-23.8) years earlier in a clinical trial of MST (C. M. Borduin et al., 1995).
Participants were 176 individuals who were originally randomized to MST or individual therapy (IT) during adolescence and averaged 3.9 arrests for felonies prior to treatment. Arrest, incarceration, and civil suit data were obtained in middle adulthood when participants were on average 37.3 years old.
Intent-to-treat analyses showed that felony recidivism rates were significantly lower for MST participants than for IT participants (34.8% vs. 54.8%, respectively) and that the frequency of misdemeanor offending was 5.0 times lower for MST participants. In addition, the odds of involvement in family-related civil suits during adulthood were twice as high for IT participants as for MST participants.
The present study represents the longest follow-up to date of an MST clinical trial and demonstrates that the positive impact of an evidence-based youth treatment such as MST can last well into adulthood. Implications of the authors' findings for policymakers and service providers are discussed.
尽管现有证据表明，多系统治疗（MST）对严重犯罪的积极影响可延续至青年期之后，但 MST 对中年人犯罪和非犯罪结果的长期影响尚未得到评估。在本研究中，作者考察了平均在 21.9 年前（范围= 18.3-23.8 年）参加 MST（C.M.Borduin 等人，1995 年）临床试验的严重和暴力青少年罪犯的广泛刑事和民事法庭结果。
参与者为 176 名个体，他们在青少年时期最初被随机分配到 MST 或个体治疗（IT）组，治疗前平均有 3.9 次重罪逮捕。在中年时获得逮捕、监禁和民事诉讼数据，此时参与者的平均年龄为 37.3 岁。
意向治疗分析表明，MST 参与者的重罪累犯率明显低于 IT 参与者（分别为 34.8%和 54.8%），MST 参与者的轻罪犯罪频率低 5.0 倍。此外，在成年期间涉及家庭相关民事诉讼的可能性，IT 参与者是 MST 参与者的两倍。
本研究代表了迄今为止对 MST 临床试验的最长随访，并表明，像 MST 这样的循证青少年治疗的积极影响可以持续到成年期。作者的研究结果对政策制定者和服务提供者具有启示意义。
