Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) for Young People in Treatment for Non‐opioid Drug Use: A Systematic Review

Maia Lindstrøm,Madina Saidj,Pernille Skovbo Rasmussen,Anne‐Marie Klint Jørgensen,Trine Filges,Krystyna Kowalski

doi:10.4073/csr.2015.9

Abstract

This publication is a systematic Campbell review of the effect of the family therapy approach Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) for treatment for non-opioid drug use (e.g., cannabis, amphetamine, ecstasy or cocaine) among young people aged 11-21 years.Youth drug use is a severe problem worldwide. Recent reports describe concerning trends in the use of drugs by young people and a lack of available treatment. FBT is a manual-based family therapy approach that seeks to reduce drug use among youth by identifying stimuli and triggers for drug taking, and teaching self-control and other skills to correct the problem behaviors related to drug use. This approach is based on the therapeutic premise that the family carries a profound influence on child and youth development and that interventions need to be flexible and tailored to the unique characteristics of the families. It is also argued that there is a need for interventions to be problem-focused, targeting first those patterns of behavior that most directly influence the youth’s drug use.

Highlights

Youth drug use is a severe problem worldwide, and the use of cannabis, amphetamine ecstasy and cocaine, referred to as non-opioid drugs, are strongly associated with a range of health and social problems.This review focuses on Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) as a treatment for young people who misuse non-opioid drugs
The main conclusion of the review is that there is a lack of firm evidence on the effect of FBT
The aim of this systematic review is to explore what is known about the effectiveness of FBT for the purpose of reducing youth drug use, in order to contribute to an evidence-based approach in the treatment of young non-opioid drug users

Summary

Introduction

This review focuses on Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) as a treatment for young people who misuse non-opioid drugs. Use of nonopioid drugs such as cannabis, amphetamine and cocaine is strongly associated with a range of health and social problems, including delinquency, poor scholastic attainment, fatal automobile accidents, suicide and other individual and public calamities (Deas & Thomas, 2001; Essau, 2006; Rowe & Liddle, 2006; Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), 2000; Shelton, Taylor, Bonner & van den Bree, 2009). 8.4 percent of 18 to 25 year-olds in the US are classified as needing treatment for illicit drug use, but less than one tenth of these young people receive treatment (National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2007). Likewise among young people aged 12 to 17, 4.5 percent were estimated to be in need of treatment for a drug use problem, but only one tenth in this group received any (SAMSHA, 2010). Research calls attention to the significant gap between young people classified in need of treatment and young people receiving treatment (SAMSHA, 2010; NSDUH, 2007)

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Discussion

Conclusion