Culturally relevant family-based treatment for adolescent delinquency and substance abuse: understanding within-session processes

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology Vol. 66; no. 8; pp. 830 - 846
• Main Authors: Cunningham, Phillippe B., Foster, Sharon L., Warner, Sarah E.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.2010; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Americans - psychology; antisocial behavior; Antisocial Personality Disorder - ethnology; Antisocial Personality Disorder - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical psychology; Cognitive Therapy; Community Mental Health Services; cultural competence; Cultural Competency; Culture; Drug abuse; Education; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Evidence-Based Practice; family engagement; Family psychotherapy. Systemic therapy; family therapy; Family Therapy - methods; Female; Humans; Juvenile delinquency; Juvenile Delinquency - ethnology; Juvenile Delinquency - rehabilitation; Juvenile offenders; Male; Medical sciences; MST; Professional-Family Relations; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling; Psychotherapy; Substance-Related Disorders - ethnology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Systems Theory; Treatments; Social environment; Human; Antisocial behavior; Therapeutic process; cultural competence; Evidence-based practice; Substance abuse; Ethnic group; Recommendation; Therapeutic relation; MST; Case study; family therapy; Treatment; family engagement; Juvenile delinquency; Minority; Family psychotherapy; Adolescent; Family environment; Social behavior disorder
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20709

Identifying psychotherapy processes that likely contribute to client outcome with ethnic minorities is a vital practice and research need, particularly within family‐focused, evidence‐based treatments (EBT) for youth with externalizing problems. Identifying process variables within a cross‐cultural context may improve the efficacy of EBTs by informing psychotherapists how to modify their behavior when working with ethnically diverse clients. The authors described one approach to the development of culturally competent psychotherapy, using an observational coding system comprising Afrocentric codes to investigate culturally relevant therapist behaviors. Qualitative examples illustrated the quantitative findings relating to therapist in‐session behavior that promote client engagement and positive responding during a midtreatment session of multisystemic therapy. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 66:1–17, 2010.