Citation

Buderer C, Kirsch T, Pérez T, Swenson CC, Fürstenau U, Rhiner B. J. Marital Fam. Ther. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jmft.12695

PMID

38409887

Abstract

Evidence-based indication for targeted interventions is a central approach in the field of child welfare and psychotherapy. This study explored the characteristics of children and families referred to Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) in Switzerland and their associations with treatment outcomes. We sought to identify subgroups of children and families referred to MST-CAN and understand their specific needs and alignment with the program. We identified five distinct subgroups of children: (a) those characterized by clinically significant "social withdrawal" and "anxiety/depression," (b) with multiple clinically significant emotional and behavioral problems, (c) with predominantly externalizing problems, (d) with no pathological findings at all, with parents who were less stressed and had fewer mental health problems, and (e) with mainly internalizing problems and parents whose mental health problems deteriorated during treatment. Investigating the fit of children and families referred to treatment programs can enhance the understanding of their healthcare needs and enable more individualized interventions.

Language: en

Keywords

child behavior checklist; child neglect and maltreatment; evidence-based indications; multisystemic therapy for child abuse and neglect; profile types; treatment outcome