A Randomized Controlled Trial of Familias Unidas for Hispanic Adolescents With Behavior Problems

2009/10/15 by Hilda Pantín, Hilda Pantin, Guillermo Prado +8 · 176 citations
Medicine · Psychology · #Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder #Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development #Clinical psychology #Environmental health #Intervention (counseling) #Medicine #Population #Psychiatry #Randomized controlled trial #Risky sexual behavior #Sexual behavior #Sexually active #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes #Substance use

paper · open access · doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e3181bb2913

published in Psychosomatic Medicine 71(9), 987-995 (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)

openalex publication_date 2009/10/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Familias Unidas, a Hispanic-specific, parent-centered intervention, in preventing/reducing adolescent substance use, unsafe sexual behavior, and externalizing disorders. METHODS: A total of 213 8th grade Hispanic adolescents with behavior problems and their primary caregivers were assigned randomly to one of two conditions: Familias Unidas or Community Control. Participants were assessed at baseline and at 6, 18, and 30 months post baseline. RESULTS: Results showed that, relative to a Community Control condition, Familias Unidas was efficacious in preventing or reducing externalizing disorders, preventing and reducing substance use, and in reducing unsafe sexual behavior. The effects of Familias Unidas on these outcomes were partially mediated by improvements in family functioning. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that parent-centered intervention is an efficacious strategy for preventing/reducing specific health risk behaviors in Hispanic adolescents with behavior problems.

Citations

• Missing Data Techniques for Structural Equation Modeling.
• A randomized controlled trial of a parent-centered intervention in preventing substance use and HIV risk behaviors in Hispanic adolescents.
• Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies.

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