Thematic review of family therapy journals 2010

In this article the contents of the principal English‐language family therapy journals published in 2010 are reviewed under these headings: child‐focused problems, adult‐focused problems, substance misuse across the lifespan, couples, diversity, spirituality and mindfulness, training, revisiting history and research.     

Family therapy in Macau: development,challenges and opportunities

Family therapy in Macau is in its early stages of development. The Satir model and structural family therapy were the first two therapies introduced. Later on, solution‐focused brief therapy and narrative therapy were also introduced. Macau has been undergoing dramatic socioeconomic changes since the relaxation of the gambling licenses. In sociocultural terms this has led to significant changes: the so‐called ‘dealer's complex’, gambling, drug abuse and youth deviance have become more prevalent. To address complicated family problems, various counselling institutes and training centres were established to conduct family therapy. However, there are still some limitations and challenges that must be addressed in order to have a thriving family therapy profession in Macau.     

Thematic review of family therapy journals 2011

In this article the contents of the principal English‐language family therapy journals published in 2011 are reviewed under these headings: child‐focused problems, adult‐focused problems, couples therapy, medical family therapy, military family therapy, theory, research, training, the new Journal of Couple and Family Psychology and Human Systems twenty‐first anniversary.     

Thematic review of Family Therapy Journals 2012

In this article the contents of the principal English‐language family therapy journals, and key family therapy articles published in other journals in 2012 are reviewed under these headings: therapy processes in the treatment of child‐focused problems, autism, adolescent substance use, human immunodeficiency virus, depression and grief, fragile families, mental health recovery, medical family therapy, family business and systemic practice, couple therapy, intimate partner violence, key issues in theory and practice, research, diversity, international perspectives, interviews, and deaths.     

Thematic review of family therapy journals in 2007

In 2007 many developments in a broad range of areas were covered in the family therapy journals. In this review, reference will be made to particularly significant papers but also to the less significant but representative articles in the areas of child‐focused problems, adult‐focused problems, couples, divorce, diversity, developments in systemic practice, assessment, training, research, international professional developments and deaths.     

Depressed youth: treatment outcome and changes in family functioning in individual and family therapy

This study explores the role of family functioning in therapeutic change in focused individual psychodynamic psychotherapy (FIPP) and time‐limited systems integrative family therapy (SIFT) for depressed children and adolescents. After a screening process, 72 participants aged 8 to 15 were randomized to either FIPP or time‐limited SIFT. Assessments took place prior to, at the end of, and 6 months after treatment. Families in both SIFT and FIPP showed a small but significant and sustained improvement in family functioning by the end of treatment in both mothers' self‐reports and family therapists' assessments. Better family functioning at baseline in mothers' self‐reports and improved family functioning during SIFT, as assessed by family therapists, predicted a sustained decrease in self‐reported depressive symptoms. Results indicated that time‐limited SIFT may be more effective with younger children and in patients without a diagnosis of double depression than adolescents.     

The Efficacy of Systemic Therapy for Childhood and Adolescent Externalizing Disorders: A Systematic Review of 47 RCT

Systemic (family) therapy is a widely used psychotherapy approach. However, most systematic efficacy reviews have focused solely on “family‐based treatment” rather than on the theoretic orientation “systemic therapy.” We systematically review trials on the efficacy of systemic therapy for the treatment of childhood and adolescent externalizing disorders. All randomized (or matched) controlled trials (RCT) evaluating systemic/systems‐oriented therapy in various forms (family, individual, group, multi‐family group therapy) with child or adolescent index patients (0–17 years) suffering from mental disorders were identified by data base searches and cross‐references. Inclusion criteria were as follows: index patient diagnosed with a DSM‐ or ICD‐listed mental disorder, and trial published in any language up to the end of 2011. The RCTs were analyzed for their research methodology, interventions applied, and results (postintervention; follow‐up). A total of 47 trials from the United States, Europe, and China, published in English, German, and Mandarin, were identified. A total of 42 of them showed systemic therapy to be efficacious for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, conduct disorders, and substance use disorders. Results were stable across follow‐up periods of up to 14 years. There is a sound evidence base for the efficacy of systemic therapy for children and adolescents (and their families) diagnosed with externalizing disorders.     

Broken Bonds

SUMMARY

Infidelity comes in many forms. Different meanings may be assigned to the various forms. This article discusses not only the different forms infidelity may take, but also the larger issue in the field of couple and family therapy; the meaning frame for understanding the impact of different kinds of events, specific relationship problems, and how to deal with them. This is done through the use of emotion focused therapy and the context of adult attachment.     

Warriors,authors and baseball coaches: the meaning of metaphor in theories of family therapy

This article examines the metaphors family therapists use in their theories to reveal aspects of the theories which are not explicitly stated, using Whitaker's symbolic experiential therapy, Minuchin's structural therapy and White's narrative therapy as examples. Such examination, drawing on social constructivist understandings of metaphor and meaning making, reveals that Minuchin's metaphors of family as organism and therapist as artist and warrior emphasize the family as relatively holistic and the therapist as relatively interventionist. In contrast, Whitaker's metaphor of family as ecological system or team and therapist as coach emphasizes the interdependence and context sensitivity of the family and relative powerlessness of the therapist to impose change. Finally, White, reflecting his explicitly post‐structural commitment, uses the metaphor of therapy as a journey undertaken with a map and as therapy as an act of re‐narrating a story.     

Techniques of Structural Family Assessment: A Qualitative Analysis of How Experts Promote a Systemic Perspective

The trajectory of assessment in structural family therapy moves from a linear perspective, in which problems are located in the identified patient, to an interactional perspective, in which problems are seen as involving other members of the family. Minuchin, Nichols, & Lee (2007) developed a 4‐step model for assessing couples and families consisting of: (1) broadening the definition of the presenting complaint to include its context, (2) identifying problem‐maintaining interactions, (3) a structurally focused exploration of the past, and (4) developing a shared vision of pathways to change. To study how experts actually implement this model, judges coded video recordings of 10 initial consultations conducted by three widely recognized structural family therapists. Qualitative analyses identified 25 distinct techniques that these clinicians used to challenge linear thinking and move families toward a systemic understanding of their problems. We discuss and locate these techniques in the framework of the 4‐step model.     

Content‐specific gender differences in emotion ratings from early to late adulthood

The investigation of gender differences in emotion has attracted much attention given the potential ramifications on our understanding of sexual differences in disorders involving emotion dysregulation. Yet, research on content‐specific gender differences across adulthood in emotional responding is lacking. The aims of the present study were twofold. First, we sought to investigate to what extent gender differences in the self‐reported emotional experience are content specific. Second, we sought to determine whether gender differences are stable across the adult lifespan. We assessed valence and arousal ratings of 14 picture series, each of a different content, in 94 men and 118 women aged 20 to 81. Compared to women, men reacted more positively to erotic images, whereas women rated low‐arousing pleasant family scenes and landscapes as particularly positive. Women displayed a disposition to respond with greater defensive activation (i.e., more negative valence and higher arousal), in particular to the most arousing unpleasant contents. Importantly, significant interactions between gender and age were not found for any single content. This study makes a novel contribution by showing that gender differences in the affective experiences in response to different contents persist across the adult lifespan. These findings support the “stability hypothesis” of gender differences across age.     

Differences in Dropout Rates Among Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy Clients

The premature dropout of clients from therapy is an inefficient expenditure of mental health resources. This study examined differences in dropout rates among individual, couple, and family therapy clients. Data came from archived records at a marriage and family therapy clinic at a university in the United States. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in dropout rates, despite the use of multiple measures of dropout. Thus, from a mental health services perspective, administrators and clinicians can expect that dropout rates will remain fairly consistent across treatment modalities.     

How Do Experienced Family Therapists View Their Practice? An Exploratory Assessment of Clinical Skills and Their Relation to Theories of Family Therapy

This study examines the fit between theory based therapeutic skills and the perceptions of experienced therapists about their own skills. Participants responded to a measure of family therapy skills. Of the generic skills, two factors were identified which cut across many areas of practice. For the theory specific skills, two factors were identified which cut across four theories of family therapy. One was consistent with an expert style of therapy and the other reflected a collaborative approach to practice. These findings suggest that clinical training in family therapy should develop ways to train clinicians to match their clinical practice with client needs over theory based models.     

家庭治疗与孝道之关系探讨

家庭治疗自上个世纪80年代末引入我国以来深受各领域研究者的关注,其关注的焦点之一就是家庭治疗与我国的文化适应性问题。而孝道,是几千年来中华民族传统美德的重要组成部分,被看作是中国文化的最突出的特色。探讨家庭治疗与孝道之关系,可从中发现对家庭治疗在国内施行的一些启示。     

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: Addressing the Function and the Family From the Perspective of Systemic Family Therapies

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescence has been increasing steadily over the past several decades. Mental health professionals frequently address NSSI solely within an individual context. Behaviorally focused therapy is the norm for treating NSSI in adolescents, but existence of the behavior as a larger manifestation of structural family problems is missing from this modality of therapy. Although short-term outcomes display a reduction or cessation of NSSI, long-term efficacy is still not proven for behaviorally focused therapies. Addressing the function of NSSI in a family context will help shift the perspective of clinicians from behavioral, individual therapy to structural family therapy.     

Career Paths of Eminent Researchers in Marriage and Family Therapy

The mental health field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) needs more MFT researchers and more research to validate and verify the effectiveness and efficacy of MFT for the treatment of various mental health and relational problems. Knowing more about how successful researchers have developed their careers would be useful in both inspiring and guiding young MFT researchers toward success. Three eminent researchers whose careers have focused on MFT (James Alexander, John Gottman, and Howard Liddle) and their publications served as the research sample. Research questions addressing types of research, research samples, research questions, therapy model development, funding, and paths of the research careers were answered using content analysis. Results support guidelines that include having a focused research interest area, adhering to the scientist-practitioner model, obtaining funding, maximizing the utility of research samples, and generating publications.     

Attachment Change in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Sexual Satisfaction Outcomes in a Two-year Follow-up Study

Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT) is an empirically validated attachment based approach to couple therapy. From an EFT perspective, sexual functioning is viewed within the context of an attachment bond, but sexual satisfaction in EFT has not been empirically tested. We examined self-reported sexual satisfaction across 24?months in a sample of 32 couples who received an average of 21 EFT sessions. We found that sexual satisfaction increased across six time points from pre to post therapy and across follow-up (6, 12, 18, and 24?months), and that decreases in attachment avoidance from pre to post therapy predicted increases in sexual satisfaction across time. These findings provide evidence that EFT may help couples improve their sexual satisfaction by reducing attachment avoidance in therapy.     

Associations among relational values,support, health,and well‐being across the adult lifespan

Is the link between close relationships and health and well‐being static across the lifespan, or are the benefits most evident in older adulthood, when concerns about physical health are greater? In Study 1, a cross‐sectional survey of 271,053 adults, valuing friendships was related to better functioning, particularly among older adults, whereas valuing familial relationships exerted a static influence on health and well‐being across the lifespan. In Study 2, a longitudinal study of 7,481 older adults, only strain from friendships predicted more chronic illnesses over a 6‐year period; support from spouses, children, and friends predicted higher subjective well‐being over an 8‐year period.