MST-CAN research hub
Explore all of the research about MST-CAN from the UK and internationally.
MST-CAN research hub
The effectiveness of MST-CAN was evaluated in the following research
Swenson, Schaeffer, et al., 2010
Multisystemic therapy for child abuse and neglect: A randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 24 (4), 497–507.
A multisystemic approach to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
This research shows that MST-CAN is twice as effective as the alternative outpatient therapy at preventing out-of-home placement.
Moreover, MST-CAN was more effective at reducing parent’s physical and psychological aggression towards their children and neglectful parenting.
MST-CAN is also more effective at reducing parent and child mental health problems and increasing natural social supports.
In the UK, of the 71 families evaluated during the pilot period (July 2009 to May 2015)
- 98% of children remain at home
- 97% are in school or working
Ofsted quotes
Children on the edge of care benefit from the intensive and bespoke support provided by the Families Together teams and Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) team. Collaborative working between these teams, in conjunction with the child’s social worker, provides child-focused intervention to support children to live safely at home whenever possible.
(Doncaster, January 2025)
For children on the edge of care, Knowsley has an array of additional support services that work with children and families to reduce risks and prevent children entering care, including family group conferencing and the multisystemic team.
(Knowsley, November 2024)
Neglect is identified and responded to effectively for many children. The Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) team delivers intensive support for highly vulnerable children and their families through purposeful interventions.
(Leeds, June 2025)
Children and families benefit from access to a wide range of support services, including multi-systemic therapy and the functional family therapy team. Social work practice is enriched by this co-worked approach and this results in children living with greater emotional warmth, improved living conditions and better school attendance.
(Leicester, September 2021)
Children on the edge of care benefit from a wide range of services and interventions to keep them at home where it is safe to do so. This is contributing positively to diverting children from entering care. Specific support services such as Family Group Conferencing and Multi-Systemic Therapy are having a positive impact for a significant number of children in supporting them to remain at home or within their family networks. Highly skilled workers provide intensive therapeutic interventions to support parents and carers to be able to better meet children’s needs. Their targeted and time-limited interventions enable families to make tangible progress in their parenting capacity. Dynamic and proactive approaches are supporting resilience and improved experiences for children and their families.
(Newcastle, May 2025)
The BEACON project – Evaluation of MST-CAN
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), in collaboration with the University of Kent, Teesside University and MST-UK and Ireland have been working closely together on the first stage of a feasibility study to find out if it would be possible to undertake a robust impact evaluation of MST-CAN implementation in England and Wales. With that now complete, the research has moved onto the next stage of the study, a mixed method cluster randomised pilot trial of MST-CAN versus business as usual for families with at least one child subject to a child protection plan.
The MST-CAN programme will be delivered by the Multisystemic Therapy UK and Ireland team at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Leeds City Council, Flintshire Council, Sandwell Children’s Trust and Wrexham Borough Council.
This pilot is part of YEF’s wider commitment to building the evidence base around what works to keep children safe from harm and ensure that children can grow up in stable, supportive homes.
For more information, please visit the University of Kent website
Cambridge Core Blog - Article of the Month
Treating the Whole Family When Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence Occurs
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health and mental health issue. When children are involved, their own mental health and safety may be at risk. Even very young children under the age of 5 may show signs of developmental regression in environments where IPV is present. Children’s Services in the UK, much like Child Protective Services (CPS) in the United States, have reported increases in IPV among the families they support, often resulting in children being placed in out-of-home care. Without treatment that addresses the entire family, resolving safety concerns and supporting healing for both adults and children may not occur.
The scale of the issue, and the desire to offer effective services for the whole family, led the Department of Children and Families in Connecticut, USA (equivalent to local authority Children’s Services in the UK), to ask my colleague, Dr. Cindy Schaeffer, and me to develop a model that would address the co-occurring challenges of IPV and child maltreatment.
