Booster sessions and long-term effects of behavioral family therapy on adolescent substance use and school performance.
This study investigated the long-term impact on adolescent substance use and academic failure of 6 months of booster sessions following the termination of behavioral family therapy. Subjects were four 14-16-year-old white and Hispanic males and females whose parents or teachers had referred them for 5-12 months of behavioral family therapy. The first subject received no booster sessions; after the typical decrease in substance use and academic problems at the end of treatment, his problems recurred and subsequently worsened during follow-up. The other three subjects responded similarly to behavioral family therapy, but this was followed by 6 months of booster sessions, leading to a second decrease in substance use and academic problems. Improvement was maintained throughout follow-up. These results suggest that booster sessions can prevent the recurrences of adolescent problem behavior that often follow treatment termination.
Bry
B H
BH
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855-0819.
Krinsley
K E
KE
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004493:Education; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*