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Multisystemic Therapy-Problem Sexual Behavior (MST-PSB) for court-involved youth

Juvenile Justice
Benefit-cost methods last updated December 2024.  Literature review updated May 2019.
This program was archived June 2026.
Multisystemic Therapy-Problem Sexual Behavior (MST-PSB) is an adaptation of MST that targets youth who have committed sexual offenses. MST-PSB intends to reduce future problem sexual behavior and general criminal behavior. MST-PSB relies on intensive family therapy to identify and solve potential triggers and environmental factors that lead to problem sexual behaviors. The program targets and delivers its curriculum in the environments a youth navigates (i.e., home, school, the community). MST-PSB therapists visit three or more times a week for the average length of treatment, approximately seven months.

In the included studies, youth were classified as moderate or high risk per scores on a validated risk instrument and were either on probation following adjudication or following their release from confinement. In the studies in the analysis that reported demographic information, 48% of participants were youth of color and 3% were female.

We exclude evaluations of Multisystemic Therapy-Substance Abuse, Multisystemic Therapy-Family Integrated Transitions, and Multisystemic Therapy for court-involved youth from this analysis and analyze them separately.

Key Terms

Court-involved youth: Youth who are processed through the juvenile justice system but who are not ordered to a period of confinement in a residential or correctional facility. This includes populations of arrested youth, diverted youth, charged youth, adjudicated youth, and youth on probation or formal supervision.

Youth in state institutions: Youth who are confined in a residential or correctional facility when they participate in the program.

Youth post-release: Youth who are returning to the community following a period of confinement in a residential or correctional facility and who participate in the program after release to the community.
 
ALL
BENEFIT-COST
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS
For an overview of WSIPP's Benefit-Cost Model, please see this guide. The estimates shown are present value, life cycle benefits and costs. All dollars are expressed in the base year chosen for this analysis (2023).  The chance the benefits exceed the costs are derived from a Monte Carlo risk analysis. The details on this, as well as the economic discount rates and other relevant parameters are described in our 2024 Technical Documentation.
Benefit-Cost Summary Statistics Per Participant
Benefits to:
Taxpayers $9,817 Benefits minus costs $9,418
Participants $2,220 Benefit to cost ratio $1.55
Others $18,808 Chance the program will produce
Indirect ($4,227) benefits greater than the costs 60%
Total benefits $26,618
Net program cost ($17,200)
Benefits minus cost $9,418

^WSIPP’s benefit-cost model does not monetize this outcome.

^^WSIPP does not include this outcome when conducting benefit-cost analysis for this program.

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our 2024 Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured Treatment age No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) used in the benefit-cost analysis Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
First time ES is estimated Second time ES is estimated
ES SE Age ES SE Age ES p-value
Crime
Involvement in the criminal justice system (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions, incarceration) measured through administrative records (e.g. court records, arrests) or self-report.
 15 2 90 -0.547 0.577 16 -0.547 0.577 24 -0.547 0.343
Sex offense^
Arrests, charges, convictions, or incarcerations for a sex offense.
 15 1 24 -1.332 0.549 16 n/a n/a n/a -1.332 0.015
Externalizing behavior symptoms^^
Symptoms of externalizing behavior (e.g., aggressive, hostile, or disruptive behavior) measured on a validated scale.
 15 1 67 -0.156 0.178 15 n/a n/a n/a -0.156 0.381
Internalizing symptoms^^
Symptoms of internalizing behavior (e.g., sadness, anxiety, or withdrawal) measured on a validated scale.
 15 1 67 -0.121 0.178 15 n/a n/a n/a -0.121 0.496
Alcohol use before end of high school
Any use of alcohol by the end of high school, typically between ages 14 and 18.
15 1 66 -0.066 0.241 16 -0.066 0.241 26 -0.066 0.783
Cannabis use before end of high school
Any use of cannabis by the end of high school, typically between ages 14 and 18.
15 1 66 0.000 0.246 16 0.000 0.246 26 0.000 1.000
Out-of-home placement^^
The removal of a child from parental care, most often to foster care.
 15 1 66 -0.512 0.277 16 n/a n/a n/a -0.512 0.065
Grade point average^
Non-standardized measure of student performance calculated across subjects.
15 1 24 1.405 0.342 23 n/a n/a n/a 1.405 0.001
1In addition to the outcomes measured in the meta-analysis table, WSIPP measures benefits and costs estimated from other outcomes associated with those reported in the evaluation literature. For example, empirical research demonstrates that high school graduation leads to reduced crime. These associated measures provide a more complete picture of the detailed costs and benefits of the program.

2“Others” includes benefits to people other than taxpayers and participants. Depending on the program, it could include reductions in crime victimization, the economic benefits from a more educated workforce, and the benefits from employer-paid health insurance.

3“Indirect benefits” includes estimates of the net changes in the value of a statistical life and net changes in the deadweight costs of taxation.
Detailed Monetary Benefit Estimates Per Participant
Affected outcome: Resulting benefits:1 Benefits accrue to:
Taxpayers Participants Others2 Indirect3 Total
Crime Criminal justice system $8,944 $0 $17,471 $4,472 $30,888
Labor market earnings associated with high school graduation $1,094 $2,577 $1,423 $0 $5,094
Costs of higher education ($240) ($364) ($109) ($120) ($834)
Alcohol use before end of high school Health care associated with alcohol abuse or dependence $18 $3 $20 $9 $51
Property loss associated with alcohol abuse or dependence $0 $2 $3 $0 $5
Mortality associated with alcohol $1 $2 $0 $12 $14
Program cost Adjustment for deadweight cost of program $0 $0 $0 ($8,600) ($8,600)
Totals $9,817 $2,220 $18,808 ($4,227) $26,618
Click here to see populations selected
Detailed Annual Cost Estimates Per Participant
Annual cost Year dollars Summary
Program costs $14,043 2016 Present value of net program costs (in 2023 dollars) ($17,200)
Comparison costs $0 2016 Cost range (+ or -) 20%
We estimate the per-participant cost by applying an average monthly cost of Multisystemic Therapy-Problem Sexual Behavior (MST-PSB) to the average length of treatment in the included studies. We estimate a monthly cost for MST-PSB using the cost of a similar program, Multisystemic Therapy (MST). We use the cost and average length of MST in Washington, provided by C. Redman (personal communication, Washington State Juvenile Rehabilitation, April 16, 2019), to estimate a monthly cost. This cost reflects estimates from Barnoski, R. (2009). Providing evidence-based programs with fidelity in Washington State juvenile courts: Cost analysis (Doc. No. 09-12-1201). Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. We multiply the monthly cost estimate and the average length of MST-PSB in the included studies, approximately 7.2 months.
The figures shown are estimates of the costs to implement programs in Washington. The comparison group costs reflect either no treatment or treatment as usual, depending on how effect sizes were calculated in the meta-analysis. The cost range reported above reflects potential variation or uncertainty in the cost estimate; more detail can be found in our 2024 Technical Documentation.
Benefits Minus Costs
Benefits by Perspective
Taxpayer Benefits by Source of Value
Benefits Minus Costs Over Time (Cumulative Discounted Dollars)
The graph above illustrates the estimated cumulative net benefits per-participant for the first fifty years beyond the initial investment in the program. We present these cash flows in discounted dollars. If the dollars are negative (bars below $0 line), the cumulative benefits do not outweigh the cost of the program up to that point in time. The program breaks even when the dollars reach $0. At this point, the total benefits to participants, taxpayers, and others, are equal to the cost of the program. If the dollars are above $0, the benefits of the program exceed the initial investment.

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Borduin, C.M., Schaeffer, C.M., & Heiblum, N. (2009). A randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with juvenile sexual offenders: Effects on youth social ecology and criminal activity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77 (1), 26-37.

Letourneau, E.J., Henggeler, S.W., Borduin, C.M., Schewe, P.A., McCart, M.R., Chapman, J.E., & Saldana, L. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 23 (1), 89-102.

Letourneau, E.J., Henggeler, S.W., McCart, M.R., Borduin, C.M., Schewe, P.A., & Armstrong, K.S. (2013). Two-year follow-up of a randomized effectiveness trial evaluating MST for juveniles who sexually offend. Journal of Family Psychology, 27 (6), 978-985.