Family-Based Interventions for Child and Adolescent Disorders

Emotional and behavioral symptoms and disorders are prevalent in children and adolescents. There has been a burgeoning literature supporting evidence-based treatments for these disorders. Increasingly, family-based interventions have been gaining prominence and demonstrating effectiveness for myriad childhood and adolescent disorders. This article presents the current evidence in support of family-based interventions for mood, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity, disruptive behavior, pervasive developmental particularly autism spectrum, and eating disorders. This review details recent data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and promising interventions not yet examined using a randomized controlled methodology. It highlights the evidence base supporting various specific family-based interventions, some of which are disorder dependent. A practitioner perspective is then offered with regard to recommendations for future practice and training. The article closes with a summary and directions for future research.