Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory is considered by many to be the most thorough and thoughtful set of ideas that family therapy has created (Nichols & Schwartz, 1995). But does the literature support his concepts and ideas? This article reviewed eight empirical research articles published in the last decade or so in which Bowenian concepts were tested. The purpose was to determine whether there is any empirical support for Bowen's concepts of differentiation of self, triangulation, and fusion. Some of Bowen's notions were supported by empirical data and two valid and reliable instruments designed to test Bowenian concepts were created.

Two studies examine psychometric aspects of the seven-item version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) (Spanier, 1976). In Study 1, data from 148 heterosexual clients seeking marital therapy services and 122 heterosexual couples in the community were used to assess the criterion validity of the DAS-7. The measure differentiated between clinic and community participants and between marriages classified as distressed or adjusted based on the full DAS score. In Study 2, the reliability and convergent validity of the DAS7, when administered as a separate scale, was assessed in a community sample of 162 participants who were married or were in cohabiting heterosexual relationships. Obtained values were comparable to those reported in previous research in which the DAS-7 was obtained by extracting items from participants' full DAS. These results demonstrate that the DAS-7 is a psychometrically sound short form for assessing marital adjustment.

The current study examines the role of perceived adequacy of social support provided by spouses for both marital and individual functioning. Married individuals from a college sample (N = 177) recorded the adequacy of specific supportive behaviors provided by the spouse on a daily basis for 7 days. Perceived support adequacy was correlated in the expected direction with marital quality, depressive symptomatology, and perceived stress. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that perceived support adequacy accounts for significant unique variance in marital quality, depressive symptomatology, and perceived stress, even after controlling for social desirability. Discussion focuses on limitations of the study and implications of the findings for clinical work with couples.

Substance use disorders affect not only the identified client but significant others as well. Dyadic and family dysfunction is typically associated with a family member's alcohol or drug abuse. One area of research interest based on clinical conceptions of these families is that of partner support or coping in response to the addiction. Female partners of male alcoholics have received much of this clinical and research attention, and have alternatively been labeled as codependents, co-alcoholics, or enablers. Broadening the therapeutic emphasis beyond the impaired individual underscores the systemic notion that a loved one's addiction necessarily affects spouses and partners, and that partner responses may in turn affect drinking or drug behaviors. The present article contrasts the enabling and codependency constructs, reviews empirical studies of enabling, and offers a conceptualization of partner responses to addiction that could enhance future research efforts and clinical applications in this area.