Brief Strategic Family Therapy for adolescent drug abuse.

Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) is a brief intervention used to treat adolescent drug use that occurs with other problem behaviors. These co-occurring problem behaviors include conduct problems at home and at school, oppositional behavior, delinquency, associating with antisocial peers, aggressive and violent behavior, and risky sexual behavior.

BSFT is based on three basic principles: that BSFT is a family systems approach; that the patterns of interaction in the family influence the behavior of each family member; and that interventions should be planned that carefully target and provide practical ways to change those patterns of interaction. This manual introduces counselors to concepts that are needed to understand the family as a vital context within which adolescent drug abuse occurs. It also describes strategies for creating a therapeutic relationship with families, assessing and diagnosing maladaptive patterns of family interaction, and changing patterns of family interaction from maladaptive to adaptive.

Related protocols: CTN-0014