Effects of Community-Based Group-Home Treatment Programs on Male Juvenile Offenders′ Use and Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol

Abstract

The research literature suggests that adolescents placed in residential programs due to their delinquent behavior are at high risk for drug and alcohol use and abuse. Research is rare, however, on the effects of residential delinquency-treatment programs on drug- and alcohol-related behaviors. This study examined the comparative effects of community-based, group-home, delinquency-treatment programs in Kansas on participants' self-report measures of drug and alcohol use and abuse, and of some prosocial behaviors. The results indicated that youths (n = 82) participating in group homes using the broadly disseminated Teaching-Family approach had better during-treatment outcomes than youths (n = 103) participating in a set of comparison group homes. Corroboratively, a sample of Teaching-Family youths (n = 28) also had better during-treatment outcomes than a matched no-treatment comparison group of their friends (n = 28), while, in contrast, a sample of youths (n = 33) in the comparison group homes did not differ on during-treatment measures from a matched no-treatment comparison group of their friends (n = 33). In the post-treatment year, however, no outcome difference was evident for any of the comparisons. Regression analyses were conducted to attempt to account for variation in the during treatment drug use and prosocial behavior measures. Significant regression coefficients were found for some measures of treatment process and for measures of youths' pretreatment behavior. In a second set of regression equations, the process and pretreatment measures were less effective in accounting for variance in posttreatment outcomes. The limitations of the research and its implications for the treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol use and abuse in group-home delinquency-treatment programs are discussed.

Substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders: A review of quasi-experimental and experimental research

“…Similar to the alcohol outcomes, all of the interventions helped engender a reduction in marijuana use -however, just three of the interventions had a statistically significant effect on marijuana reduction (Braukmann et al, 1985;Henggeler et al, 1999;Smith, Chamberlain, & Eddy, 2010). As shown in Table 4, Braukmann et al (1985) found significantly greater reduction in marijuana use frequency among adolescent offenders who participated in Teaching Families compared to adolescent offenders who did not (Hedges's g = −1.991; 95% Confidence Interval = − 2.344 to − 1.638; p b .001).…”

“…As shown in Table 4, Braukmann et al (1985) found significantly greater reduction in marijuana use frequency among adolescent offenders who participated in Teaching Families compared to adolescent offenders who did not (Hedges's g = −1.991; 95% Confidence Interval = − 2.344 to − 1.638; p b .001). Henggeler et al (1999) found multisystemic therapy to successfully decrease marijuana use compared to a treatment as usual control group at the 130 day follow-up (Hedges's g = − 0.390; 95% Confidence Interval = − 0.758 to − 0.022; p = .038), and Smith et al (2010) found multidimensional treatment foster homes to be effective compared to group care at the 18 month follow-up (Hedges's g = −0.64; 95% Confidence Interval = −1.13 to -.016; p = .02).…”

“…As shown in Table 3, there is only one study that met the eligibility criteria unique to marijuana outcomes that did not also provide alcohol outcomes (Braukmann et al, 1985). Braukmann et al (1985) conducted an experimental study to assess the influence of Teaching Families -a community-based group-home treatment for adolescent offenders -on reducing adolescent marijuana use compared to a control group with a 12 month follow up.…”

“…The interventions that yielded the largest effects were a behavioral-oriented treatment targeting youth and adult mentors (Braukmann et al, 1985), other behavioral treatments (Azrin et al, 1994), Integrated Family Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Latimer, Winters, D'Zurilla, & Nichols, 2003), Multidimensional Family Therapy (Liddle, Dakof, Turner, Henderson, & Greenbaum, 2008) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Waldron, Slesnick, Brody, Turner, & Peterson, 2001).…”

“…Braukmann et al (1985) conducted an experimental study to assess the influence of Teaching Families -a community-based group-home treatment for adolescent offenders -on reducing adolescent marijuana use compared to a control group with a 12 month follow up.…”