Youth with behavioral difficulties in child welfare institutions
RKBU Nord has evaluated the effectiveness and usefulness of treatment in child welfare institutions for adolescents aged 13-17 years.
In this study, the MultifunC treatment model will be compared to regular treatment in child welfare institutions in Norway. MultifunC is a manualized treatment program in institutions for adolescents with serious behavioral problems often accompanied by worrying substance abuse behavior. The program has been implemented in several child welfare institutions in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Study objective
The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether MultifunC was as good as other existing treatment options in the child welfare field. At the same time as the study in Norway, a similar study was being conducted in Sweden. This was done to assess the treatment effects separately and as a whole. In the Norwegian study, a total of 150 adolescents will be included, with an equal number recruited from MultifunC treatment and other treatment. The adolescents in the treatment groups will be "matched" in terms of the intensity and severity of behavioral difficulties and associated problem areas. In addition, approximately 15-20 adolescents from so-called individual measures will be included in the study as an additional comparison group. Among the institutions in the comparison group are both state and private child welfare institutions.
Implementation
The adolescents are asked to fill out several self-reporting forms, and interviews are conducted at inclusion in the study and at 6, 12, and 24 months after admission. Parents are also invited to answer various forms at the same time points as the adolescents consent to this. All participation in the study is voluntary. Research staff provide the adolescents with information about the study and what participation entails and obtain their consent if necessary. Furthermore, research staff handle all information from participants to safeguard their confidentiality, but also to avoid causing staff at the various institutions unnecessary extra work. The study and procedures are approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD) and the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in the Northern Region (REK-Nord).
Participants
The project is planned to be completed by the end of 2015. This time has been postponed due to the phase of including participants in the study being more time-consuming than anticipated. A total of 71 adolescents from MultifunC treatment and 74 adolescents placed in the institutions in the comparison group (in the research protocol "Best available residential treatment") [BART] participate. The BART group includes both "private" and "public" child welfare institutions. Only 6 adolescents from so-called individual measures were included in total.
Recruitment of adolescents has now ended. Since the turn of the year, the study has had a different focus, as we only follow up on the included adolescents in the study. It is both labor and resource-intensive to track down the adolescents at the 12 and especially 24-month time points after admission to the study.
Reports
2015: Behandling av ungdom på barnevernsinstitusjoner. Resultater ett år etter inntak.