Family Therapy Intervention on Adolescents with Substance Abuse Disorder in Yaba, Lagos State.

Udoh, Sunday John

doi:10.67007/ijsds-2025-4600065

Abstract This study examined the effectiveness of family therapy interventions in reducing substance use disorders among adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. A sample of 357 adolescents (ages 13-19) with diagnosed substance use disorders was recruited from five community health centres across Lagos State. Participants were randomly assigned to either the family therapy intervention group (n=178) or a treatment-as-usual control group (n=179). The family therapy intervention consisted of 16 weekly sessions spanning four months, combining structural family therapy and multidimensional family therapy approaches, selected for their cultural appropriateness and demonstrated efficacy in addressing family dynamics common in the Nigerian context. The intervention specifically targeted family communication patterns, parental monitoring, and the development of family-based coping strategies. Treatment fidelity was maintained through regular supervision and adherence checks. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (4 months), and 6-month follow-up, using validated instruments. Results indicated that adolescents in the family therapy group showed significantly greater reductions in substance use frequency and severity and there is a significant prevalence of substance use among adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria (p<0.001, d=0.82) compared to the control group at both post-intervention and follow-up assessments. Additionally, families dealing with adolescent substance use disorders in Lagos State demonstrate low awareness and relevance of family therapy as a treatment intervention (p<0.0, d=0.67). The four-month intervention duration was determined based on prior research suggesting optimal engagement while minimizing attrition in this population. Equally, the findings show that family therapy intervention significantly improves family communication patterns and reduces the frequency and severity of substance use among adolescents. These findings show that culturally adapted family therapy interventions can be effective in reducing substance use disorders among Nigerian adolescents, showing the importance of involving family systems in treatment approaches. Based on this, the study recommended that the Government should incorporate family therapy services into primary healthcare facilities, substance abuse treatment centres, and school counselling programmes to normalise this treatment approach and increase its accessibility. Keywords: Family therapy, Interventions, Adolescents, Disorders, Substance Use, Yaba, Lagos State