Family Recovery from Youth Substance Use Related Problems: A Pilot Study of the BEST Plus Program

Abstract

Youth substance use related problems are increasingly common, and families experience considerable stress in attempting to cope with these problems. A pilot study of 34 Australian parents from 21 families (38% sole parent families) participating in an 8-week group program, designed to assist families recover from youth substance use related problems, provided the context to explore family change processes. Participants reported a number of significant improvements over the course of the four groups that ran from late 2003 and through 2004. Regression analyses found general support for the program logic model in identifying significant associations between program-targeted parent changes and post-program improvements in stress symptoms and cohesive family behaviors. The study's limitations are noted.

Reducing parental anxiety using a family based intervention for youth mental health: A randomized controlled trial

“…Parents are encouraged to attend all eight sessions, with youth of concern and siblings invited to also attend the final four weeks of the program. In addition to providing a supportive environment, the BEST Plus intervention targeted some of the relevant parent factors suggested to maintain parent and youth anxiety, including parental over-involvement, parental assumptions and beliefs, and family conflicts and dysfunction [30,46]. Parents were invited to reflect on their experiences in relation to these factors, and to explore new ways of thinking about their situation via group discussion and metaphors.…”

“…The BEST Plus program is a fully manualised and evidence supported treatment [30,46]. It consists of a structured eight-week, professionally-led group program designed to assist parents concerned with youth substance-related problems, and aims to increase family cohesion with the use of homework tasks.…”

“…Programs that are designed to provide support and education for parents typically focus on aspects such as supporting carers to practice self-care and contain distress symptoms. There is some evidence for such programs improving carer mental health (stress, maternal/paternal anxiety and depressive symptoms), which may in turn have an effect on youth mental health [29,30,46].…”

“…It evolved into the BEST Plus program in 2003 as a whole-of-family therapy program based on a family systems approach [30]. Evaluations of the BEST Plus program found improved parental emotional dependence on adolescent behaviour to be associated with a reduction in negative stress symptoms, and that this reduction in parental stress, combined with siblings attending the program, contributed to improvements in cohesive family behaviour [46]. In the present Deakin Family Options pilot study, the BEST Plus program was evaluated with families where the youth (12 -25) were experiencing substance misuse, depression and/or anxiety symptoms, and the youth of concern was also invited to attend the final four sessions of the program along with their siblings and parents [13,47].…”

Adolescent depressive disorders and family based interventions in the family options multicenter evaluation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…In families where conflict and detachment are prevalent, parents may have a limited capacity to engage youth in treatments [8], while young people themselves often have little motivation to attend services [2]. An increasing number of young people currently grow up experiencing alcohol or drug use and mental health problems, resulting in prolonged financial and material dependence on their parents [9]. …”