Relationships between family dynamics and successful completion of a multiple family group intervention program.

Abstract

Noncompliance with treatment requirements severely impacts the delivery of mental health services. This study investigated the relationships between family variables and compliance versus noncompliance with completing treatment requirements. The sample consisted of 83 court ordered families, 54 male and 42 female juvenile offenders and their 82 mothers and 35 fathers. The archival database consisted ofthe families that attended the Family Solutions program from September 2000 to May 2002. Seventy families completed the program while 13 did not comply with treatment requirements. Treatment outcome was found to be associated with increased family satisfaction. Therefore, treatment was considered valuable which rendered meaning to the attrition rates of the program. Families were assessed on demographics such as gender, race, and history of family criminality, family involvement by number of family dinners eaten together each week, family satisfaction as measured by the Family APGAR, and primary caregiver depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory. Families who never ate dinner together or ate dinner together four or more times were more likely to drop out of treatment than families who ate dinner together 1 to 3 times per week. No other measures were found to be significant.