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Cost‐Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for Youth Probationers in Singapore: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This randomized controlled study evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy (FFT) compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) among 120 youth probationers in Singapore. The Incremental Cost‐Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) was calculated to determine the cost per unit of non‐recidivism, coveri...

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Published in:Journal of Marital & Family Therapy Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 1 - 10
Main Authors: Fang, Lue, Cai, Stefanie Yuxuan, Latiff, Mahirah Abdul, Hoo, Chin Chieh, Zhou, Yiwei, Ho, Wei Tshen, Zhou, Yuqi
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Apr2025
Subjects:
Singapore
Cost effectiveness
Recidivism
Family psychotherapy
Parolees
Randomized controlled trials
At-risk youth
Southeast Asians
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:This randomized controlled study evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy (FFT) compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) among 120 youth probationers in Singapore. The Incremental Cost‐Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) was calculated to determine the cost per unit of non‐recidivism, covering the period from probation inception to 3 years post probation. Overall, FFT showed higher costs (S$1183 vs. S$1070) but better non‐recidivism rates (79% vs. 65%) compared to TAU. The ICER was S$807 per youth probationer (95% CI: S$230–S$1061). For high‐risk youth, FFT was both less costly and more effective (ICER: −S$2396), while for moderate‐risk youth, it was more costly but more effective (ICER: S$2809). Using willingness‐to‐pay benchmarks published by Cohen et al. (2001), FFT was considered more cost‐effective than TAU. The study concluded that FFT is a cost‐effective intervention for youth probationers in Singapore.