MST for Single Mothers of Boys with Antisocial Behaviour
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Strengths and challenges of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) in addressing the needs of single mothers of boys with antisocial behaviour.
IRAS ID
369536
Contact name
Grace Hill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
This project will explore how single mothers of boys with antisocial behaviour experience and engage with Multisystemic Therapy (MST), an intensive family- and community-based intervention for 11-17-year-olds with antisocial behaviour (Henggeler et al., 2009). MST empowers parents to make changes across home, school and community settings to help prevent young people from entering care or custody.
Although MST is well-established, with quantitative (MST, 2025) and qualitative evidence, including perspectives of carers (Kuar et al., 2017), ethnic minority families (Fox et al., 2017), and adoptive parents (Stewart et al., 2018), little is known about how single mothers of boys experience MST. Most MST referrals involve boys from single-mother households, who face disproportionately high behavioural difficulties (Centre for Social Justice, 2025). These challenges intersect with race/ethnicity and gender, shaping experiences within the family (e.g., mother-son relationships) and in broader systemic contexts, including the overrepresentation of racially minoritised young people in UK care and justice systems (Ministry of Justice & Youth Custody Service, 2025; DfE, 2024).
Through interviews with single mothers and MST practitioners, the study will develop a grounded theory of engagement and change, conceptualising the mechanisms shaping MST outcomes. This theory will inform practice by showing how intersectional factors influence experiences, ensuring interventions are responsive to diverse family and social contexts.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
26/WA/0144
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jul 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion