Home therapy aims to curb crime in young adults with mental illness
NCT ID NCT02922335
First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests a therapy called Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults (MST-EA) for young people aged 16–26 who have a mental illness and a recent arrest or jail release. The therapy is home-based and involves therapists and coaches working with the young adult and their family to reduce antisocial behavior and improve life skills. The study compares MST-EA to standard services to see if it lowers criminal charges and boosts self-efficacy and goal-setting over 16 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults (MST-EA)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, MST-EA could provide a proven, home-based treatment to reduce serious antisocial behavior and criminal involvement in young adults with mental illness.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single effectiveness trial with 193 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The therapy is intensive and may not work for everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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193 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2016
- Finished
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Jan 2023
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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16 to 26 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * age 16-26 * recent arrest or release from jail/prison/detention (within the past 18 months but excluding arrests for probation/parole violations) * presence of mood, anxiety, and/or psychotic disorders * able to reside in a stable community setting (not currently homeless, not currently inpatient; can include individual ready for discharge to the community) * subject consent Exclusion Criteria: * actively psychotic, suicidal, or homicidal * Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or mental retardation * sex offending as the primary antisocial behavior * adults unable to consent will also be excluded from this study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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North American Family Institute
Hamden, Connecticut, 06518, United States
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North American Family Institute
Hartford, Connecticut, 06114, United States
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North American Family Institute
New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States
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Youth Villages
Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, United States
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