The economic impact of multisystemic therapy through midlife: A cost–benefit analysis with serious juvenile offenders and their siblings.

Abstract

This study represents the most comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of an MST clinical trial to date and demonstrates that an evidence-based treatment such as MST can produce modest economic benefits well into adulthood. Implications of the authors' findings for policymakers and public service agencies are discussed.

Multisystemic Therapy®: Clinical Overview, Outcomes, and Implementation Research

“…At 14‐year follow‐up, rearrests decreased by 54% and days incarcerated by 57% (Schaeffer & Borduin, ); and similar outcomes were sustained though a 22‐year follow‐up (Sawyer & Borduin, ). Moreover, long‐term follow‐ups showed that favorable outcomes extended to the siblings of the juvenile offenders in the MST condition and produced considerable cost savings (Dopp, Borduin, Wagner, & Sawyer, ; Klietz, Borduin, & Schaeffer, ; Wagner, Borduin, Sawyer, & Dopp, ).…”

Economic Evaluation of Family-Based Therapies for Children and Adolescents: what do we know?

“…Similarly the paper by Byford et al (26) showed no significant difference in the cost-effectiveness of family therapy compared to routine care in hospital, but the family-based outpatient treatment had the highest probability of being cost effective when uncertainty was taken into account. Family-based therapy was found to be cost beneficial for studies on juvenile offenders (20,21) and cost effective for conduct disorders (9). It was also found to be cost effective for most of the studies on mental health, psychosomatic, and relational disorders.…”

“…Most studies undertook a CEA (n = 14) and among those, 1 study additionally carried out a CUA (19). Four studies evaluated the CBA of family-based intervention, 2 studies only carried out a CBA (20,21), while the 2 other studies included both CBA and CEA (9,22).…”

“…In 2 studies, it represented avoidance of crime victim expenses related to family interventions for juvenile offenders and savings to the taxpayer (20,21). The 2 other studies combining both CEA and CBA considered effectiveness as an overall reduction in health care expenses induced by family therapy for children with conduct disorders (9,22).…”

Strategies to Productively Reincorporate the Formerly-Incarcerated into Communities: A Review of the Literature

“…Effects were large and significant for violent felonies as well as for non-violent felonies. Dopp et al (2014) extends the evaluation to include behavior of the siblings of the court-involved youth who were originally randomized. and Aggression Replacement Training) was based on risk categories.…”