Family Based Interventions

A strength of Functional Family Therapy is that it is adaptable to fit the needs of diverse populations. As mentioned, this therapy has good evidence-based support for substance abuse, acting out, violence, school problems, delinquency, oppositional defiant and conduct disorders (Kazdin & Weisz, 2003; Sexton & Alexander, 2004). Needless to say, the needs of White suburban adolescents are certainly different from immigrant Asian adolescents. The fact that Functional Family Therapy is made available in six languages (Sexton & Alexander, 2004), is most certainly a strength, because it opens up this type of therapy to a larger population of adolescents and their families. As such, Functional Family Therapy is able to meet families where they are, which is a definite strength.

There is an imperative need for parents to understand the physical and emotional problems their teens may be facing and get them the help they need to adequately and appropriately address the varying issues. Furthermore, most adults think of teen drug use as an outward expression of adolescent rebellion; a means to party and experiment. Moreover, parents are not aware that prescription drugs have become the latest and greatest way to do just that. “Many people ages 11 to 18 routinely take pills such as Vicodin, Percocet, Xanax, Klonopin, Adderal,

Teenage binge drinking is defined as the deliberate consumption of dangerous amounts of alcohol in short periods of time. Alcohol in Australia is legal, easily obtained, perceived as a socially acceptable drug and ingested during many recreational occasions; influencing the high rates of abuse and misuse amongst adolescents. Other influences include peer pressure, experimental behaviour, rebellion and achieving the desired effects of the depressant drugs (loss of inhibitions and sense of wellbeing). Binge drinking ultimately leads to mental illness, unsafe sexual activity and violence. Society requires effective solutions to combat this recurring adolescent issue of substance abuse to minimise economic, social and physical impacts of those aged 15-24.

Prior to the 1960’s youth did not have their own set of constitutional rights, which led them to be charged unconventionally depending on the situation; often they were viewed as mini-adults who understood the consequences of their actions completely. As crimes committed by youth rose, the US Congress passed the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act in 1974. This was put in place to help reform treatment of juvenile offenders, preventing them from being held as adults for petty crimes, and made states follow plans to help reduce the amounts of minorities in the system due to disproportional amounts (which is still the case today). With the all time high-rise of crime in the 1980’s to the 1990’s and

LeNoue, S. R., & Riggs, P. D. (2016). Substance abuse prevention. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 25(2),

It apears that children who exprienced drinking at young age will also continously and habitually drink in the future once they grow up. They do not simple do this occasionally but it has become a frequent and habitual addiction (Christiansen et al. 7). In totality, drinking alcoholic beverages of teenagers is not is unhealthy, unsafe, and unacceptable. More and likely teens that drink are trailing behind in their education because of how alcohol affects them so bad. Some parents allow their children drink alcoholic beverages under certain circumstances with their

Adolescents are unlikely to assert their need for treatment for prescription opioid misuse themselves and may not receive any treatment until their problem comes to the attention of an adult. This is a problem because the adolescent’s opioid misuse may not receive adult attention unless there are external consequences, such as legal issues (Wu, Blazer, Li, & Woody, 2011). Because of how common prescription opioid misuse is among adolescents living in absent parent or single parent households (Nakawaki & Crano, 2012), many adolescents who misuse prescription opioids may have limited adult support, which may serve as a barrier to

Daley, D. C. (2013). Family and social aspects of substance use disorders and treatment. Journal Of Food & Drug Analysis, 21s73.

As Jean Kinney states in their book, “Loosening the Grip”, Kinney defines relapse the resumption of the drug or alcohol. Mr. Potter considers himself a recovered problem drinker after 6 years of therapy and individual counseling, he has slowed down his drinking. Potter has had a few bumps in the road such as divorcing his wife of 15 years, under going test for colon cancer and problems with his family about his alcoholic parents that he refuses to send money to help pay for their expenses. Now the first thing that I see wrong is the fact that he believes himself to be a recover problem drinker yet he still drinks continuously. Potter has done therapy and individual counseling for years and he knows exactly what to say and do in order to stay out of trouble, after his DWI arrest 15 years ago. Both his parents are unemployed alcoholics that are getting support

It is a universally held beleif that addiction ruins lives. Affecting the young and old, male and female, and people from different ethnicities, cultures, and social brackets, addiction is widely regarded as a societal illness with no easy solution. A particularily damaging assumption is that a drug or sex addict, for instance, is the root cause of their own suffering. This can potentially lead to a chain reaction where the guilt placed upon a human being strengthens the desire to escape from said guilt. This is particularily damaging to a teenager, to whom an external stimuli is no longer required after a few years of guilt inflicted by their parents. Causes for and solutions to harmful and addictive behaivour have been explored thoroughly,

Substance use and abuse has far reaching implications for all of society, and has significant effects on the global burden of disease. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) has indicated that substance use disorders (SUD) may have a formidable effect on the health of individuals, families, and communities (SAMSHA, 2016). Whiteford, Ferrari, Degenhardt, Feigin, and Vos (2015) stated, “Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders are a leading cause of the disease burden worldwide, substantially contributing to health loss across the lifespan” (p. 8). Reasons for the prevalence of substance abuse are multi-factorial. Those who use, or abuse, frequently suffer from a multitude of other problems, such as physical diseases, mental disorders, and dysfunctional familial, social, and financial

Family engagement in child protective services is a difficult task that takes care, understanding and patience. It takes a crafty worker to be able to discuss issues with parents related to the safety of their children. According to Fuller, Paceley, and Schreiber (2013), parents experience greater fear when they encounter the child welfare system. Once a family has been reported the child protectives services worker has to make contact with the family and due to the involuntary nature of the visit the fear of a child being removed from the home poses a barrier to the engagement process (Fuller, Paceley, & Schreiber, 2013). Advanced CPS training techniques that seeks to strengthen family engagement through motivational interviewing

Juvenile delinquents are often diagnosed different disorders. Around six to sixteen percent of male teens and two to nine percent of female teens have a conduct disorder. These can vary from oppositional-defiant disorder, which is not necessarily aggressive, to antisocial personality disorder, often diagnosed among psychopaths. A conduct disorder can develop during childhood and then manifest itself during adolescence.

The result of implementing these social skills interventions appeared generally positive outcomes. Most participants who received the SST treatment decreased disruptive or antisocial behaviors and improved positively social competence. Despite generally positive outcomes of SST, the individual studies presented many limitations and mixed outcomes.

This review explains how to treat an anorexia nervosa patient and how to help clients to find solutions to the symptoms that occur during this strategic family therapy intervention. The results from the strategic family therapy have proven to be successful with a lifelong experience. It was once stated (Murray2013) that limited evidence on strategic family therapy perspective on adult eating disorders have become known. Anorexia nervosa is a disorder that affects a client psychological state of mind and not only does this disorder affect the individual, but also the people that surround them. Therefore, this condition is very challenging to solve it might take more time than normally to solve symptoms for the duration of the strategic family therapy