Bowen Family Systems Theory Research Articles

Intergenerational transmission of familial relational dysfunction: A test of a complex mediation model based on Bowen family systems theory

Intergenerational transmission of familial relational dysfunction: A test of a complex mediation model based on Bowen family systems theory

TIMELESS GEM: HOW MAHABHARATA CAN BE THE GAME CHANGER IN INSPIRING RESPECT FOR ELDERS

Mahabharata is the longest epic poem and a product of ancient Hindu civilisation, written post Ramayana between 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. Scholars unanimously agree the Mahabharata is a Hindu moral treatise. However, the fundamental moral values relating to the family as depicted in the epic is very much understudied, notably the element of respect given to the elders. The mainstream interpretations of the Mahabharata text focus primarily on its spiritual element, limiting its application and relevance to wider moral living. In reality, the epic promotes family values, notably the enduring respect for older family members by the younger ones even when they treat the latter unjustly. This paper contributes to literature on morality, namely the value of respect as discussed and portrayed in Mahabharata. Respect is a universal value; however, this moral value as discussed in Mahabharata is unique and worthy to be promoted as a moral ideal because it has significant scientific and cultural implications. Therefore, the current study further seeks to identify moral values associated with family life, namely respect for the elderly. Relevant data is extracted and later analysed using Hermeneutic Approach, while Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory is utilised to understand intra-familial relationship. Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory meanwhile is used to delineate the moral phases of important characters. Certain methods and expressions are used in the epic that reflect familial respect, namely: i) Salutatory Respect; ii) Acquiescent Respect; iii) Consultation Respect; iv) Linguistic Respect; v) Gift Respect and Reverence. Mahabharata is potentially a valuable moral resource for the younger generation and including its moral values in the educational syllabus will pave way to create generations that respect and honour its elderly and older members of society.

Intimate partner violence and Bowen family systems theory: promoting safety and expanding capacity of families

AbstractFamily violence is becoming increasingly visible in Australia, with many state and federal governments taking on more responsibility to address family violence and its impacts on those affected. Current efforts are focused on practice frameworks, identifying and responding to risk factors, and social justice frameworks including legislating against family violence in a range of jurisdictions and addressing more broadly the structural and cultural forces that perpetuate violence and further oppress those victimised. Family violence is not unique to Australia, with prevalence rates internationally suggesting family violence occurs irrespective of country, race, age, culture, effectiveness of social policies or socioeconomic status. This paper explores relevant foundational concepts of Bowen family systems theory (BFST) as it relates to family violence and explores opportunities to evolve practice in this area. BFST offers a unique contribution towards addressing family violence, particularly in relation to the public health challenge of addressing family polyvictimisation. The paper also explores how BFST conceptualises family violence and the role of the professional in working with the family as a single emotional unit. The unique focus of BFST on observing and defining self within the emotional family unit through observation of the underlying multigenerational emotional patterns of functioning provides unique opportunities to evolve and develop both the capacity of clinicians and responses to families who are navigating the serious and challenging impacts of family violence.

Household Moderation as a Foundation for Building a Harmonic Family: An Integration of Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory and Maqashid Sharia

Household Moderation as a Foundation for Building a Harmonic Family: An Integration of Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory and Maqashid Sharia

Reducing risk: navigating emotional triangles in clinical work with youth suicidality and self‐harm

AbstractIn clinical work with families in which a young person is at real and significant risk of self‐harm or even death by suicide, predictable emotional triangles both within the family and within the treating system intensify. As understandable fear and worry in parents and clinicians rises in response to potential risk, these emotionally driven relational processes become even more rigid. This typically results in a reduction in cognitive and behavioural flexibility, which can potentially and unwittingly increase the risk of self‐harm by suicide. This article outlines some basic principles pertaining to the notion of emotional triangles, a central concept in Bowen family systems theory; its relevance for clinicians working with suicidal youth and their families; and its application to the context of a community child and youth mental health service. Practical application of theory to clinical work is demonstrated through clinical vignettes that describe the work of two clinicians and their clinical supervisor. The authors reflect on their understanding of the development of emotional triangles in the vignettes presented alongside their efforts to navigate these triangles through the regulation of their own anxiety and more objective thinking.

Special Issue: Bowen family systems theory editorial

Special Issue: Bowen family systems theory editorial

Bowen family systems theory and practice: Illustration and critique revisited

AbstractThis paper overviews Bowen family systems theory and its approach to family therapy. It aims to introduce this influential approach and a sample of developments in theory and practice since Bowen's first publications of his research and theory. This paper is the second edition of a 1999 article with the same title (Brown, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 20, 94 and 1999) and, 25 years later, offers new insights from the original author's ongoing research into the theory. This new edition is in collaboration with a second author and Bowen theory scholar, bringing fresh perspectives on the theory's applicability to family therapy practice. The core concepts are presented briefly, and a case example with a parent and symptomatic adolescent demonstrates how theory informs the role of the therapist and the therapeutic work. Examples of criticisms of Bowen theory are also discussed, including the misinterpretation around the idea of emotion in Bowen theory that is communicated in Gottman's training. Differentiation of self is clarified as the integration of emotion and intellect rather than privileging one over another, which affords the opportunity for individuals to avoid being governed by the invisible strings of sensitivities in relationships and instead be themselves in good emotional contact with the other person.

A personal reflection on Bowen family systems theory by Dr Michael Kerr

AbstractThis interview with Dr Michael Kerr highlights his ongoing interest in science, biology and neuroscience. Guided by Bowen family systems theory, Dr Kerr's observations examine how research is showing links between physical health, the immune response and psychological motivation and wellbeing. Wellbeing is compromised in less adaptive families, which succumb more easily to any anxiety generated outside the family, as well as the chronic anxiety generated within the family. Amid times of societal regression, the capacity to adapt in a way that promotes survival and wellbeing depends on the level of differentiation of self. Differentiation of self is the sum of the capacity to maintain emotional objectivity, emotional neutrality and to take action. Psychiatrist, Dr Michael (Mike) Kerr, who more recently published Bowen Theory's Secrets: Revealing the hidden lives of families (2019), co‐authored the seminal work on Bowen family systems theory, Family Evaluation, in 1988 with Dr Murray Bowen. From 1990 to 2011, after Dr Bowen's death, Mike was the Director of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, DC. He is passionate about the relationship between differentiation of self, illness and the family emotional process and how this relates to the biological and evolutionary processes that operate in non‐human species. Mike developed the unidisease concept and is well known for his work interviewing Dr Murray Bowen on Bowen family systems theory between 1979 and 1986 for the Bowen‐Kerr Interview Series. A special issue on Bowen theory would not be complete without a commentary from Mike. So, in this interview with Bowen family systems therapist, Dr Linda MacKay, Mike discusses his life effort to research and apply Bowen theory.

Moving around the system: a way of working clinically using Bowen family systems theory

AbstractDr Murray Bowen, developer of Bowen family systems theory (BFST), had this to say to clients about working in family systems: if you get bogged down in one area, move into another (Bowen & Kerr, 1985). This statement, along with the knowledge of BFST, offered an inspiration for thinking about a method of therapy. This article highlights a method of working with an individual through a systemic lens. Two ideas are integral to this focus. One is that a client can move more easily into observing self within the system when they are not just observing self in one context or relationship but rather looking at how they function in different contexts or relationships. And second, by moving into different contexts of the system, the therapist is better able to manage the tendency towards symptom focus and stay centred on the work of differentiation. A therapist can truly have a stadium view of the system when speaking with the client about how they function in different areas of life. This method defined happens in three phases: in phase 1, the client observes themselves in their system in different contexts and looks for patterns in their functioning; in phase 2, the client takes this new self‐recognition and experiments with different ways of being in one context; and in phase 3, the insights gained from experiments in one context are applied in other contexts. Both client and clinician will benefit from less symptom focus and increased ability to observe patterns in relationships, both of which are core tenets of the work of differentiation in BFST.

Borderline personality disorder: a symptom of the family system

AbstractThe present article explores the Bowen family systems theory (BFST) view that a mental disorder such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not a dysfunction occurring within an individual but a maladjustment of the family emotional system. A case study is presented illustrating how the emotional process moves between individuals within a family system so that when relationship processes become severely compromised, one member absorbs more of the stress, becoming vulnerable to acute symptoms. It is proposed that the use of a BFST approach with a client presenting with panic anxiety and low mood may have contributed to the lowering of symptom intensity for a sibling of the client. It appears that the client's work on her part in the relationship disturbances between her, her mother, father, and sister contributed to decreasing BPD symptoms in her sister and an improvement in overall family functioning. Therefore, the differentiating effort of one family member seemed to have a ripple effect on the whole family system. Shifting the theoretical lens from an individual‐medico‐diagnostic one to a BFST one sheds light on how all family members are expressions of a family organism and players in the symptoms emerging in one.

Invalidating environment and meaning in life: The Chain Mediating Effects of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and basic psychological needs satisfaction

BackgroundAlthough people strive for meaning in life, life is full of experiences that challenge meaning. According to Bowen's family systems theory, the family is both a relational and an emotional system in which family members influence and are influenced by each other. Invalidating environment, reflecting a deficient family emotional setting, may be a key influencing factor in diminishing meaning in life. Existing studies have not directly explored the effects of the invalidating environment on meaning in life and its underlying mechanism. ObjectiveGuided by Bowen's family systems theory, this study aims to explore the relationship between invalidating environment and meaning in life, as well as the mediating effects of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. MethodsA sample of 555 university students (62.5 % female, 37.5 % male; Mage =19.13 years old, SD = 1.72) completed questionnaires regarding demographics, invalidating environment, meaning in life, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. ResultsResults revealed that: (a) invalidating environment negatively predicts meaning in life; (b) regulatory emotional self-efficacy and basic psychological needs satisfaction serve as both independent and chain mediators between invalidating environment and meaning in life. ConclusionInvalidating environment affects meaning in life through regulatory emotional self-efficacy and basic psychological needs satisfaction. This finding has significant theoretical implications and provides a feasible pathway to improve children's meaning in life at both the parent and child levels.

Couple differentiation and health-related quality of life.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether couple differentiation influenced mental and physical health-related quality of life in couple members. Data for this study were derived from a larger study at a couple a family therapy clinic. One hundred and thirty-three couples were included in a latent profile analysis, and seventy-two couples were included in analyses of mean differences. The latent profile analysis resulted in three distinct groups by level of couple differentiation: high, moderate, or low in differentiation of self. Analyses of variance indicated evidence that couple differentiation influenced health-related quality-of-life measures. Findings are discussed in the context of Bowen Family Systems Theory and the existing literature.

The Relations between Father-Perceived Family Strength and Maternal Gatekeeping in Chinese Families-Focusing on the Dual Mediation Effect of Father Involvement and Mutual Communication.

According to Murray Bowen's family systems theory, the family is an emotional unit where members influence each other. Family strength, in that members care for, respect, and communicate with each other sincerely and freely and overcome difficulties together through joint efforts, is what every family yearns for and pursues. Maternal gatekeeping behavior not only affects the relationship between each family member but also has an impact on family strength. Father-perceived family strength and maternal gatekeeping were investigated in this study, along with the mediation effect of father involvement and mutual communication. In total, 320 fathers of children aged 3-5 were randomly recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. The correlation results indicated that maternal gate-opening behavior, father involvement, mutual communication, and family strength are positively correlated with each other, whereas maternal gate closing is negatively associated with father involvement, mutual communication, and family strength. Path analysis verified the partial (dual) mediation effect of father involvement and mutual communication between maternal gate opening and family strength, as well as a complete (dual) mediation effect upon maternal gate closing. The current study provides new insights into understanding the underlying mechanisms of father-perceived family strength influenced by maternal gatekeeping behavior. Meanwhile, the mediation effect of father involvement and mutual communication also highlights the importance of parenting preparation for fathers, such as psychological self-adjustment, especially under interception or restriction.

THE FATHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP IN SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BOWEN FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, describing a father’s sorrow over his daughters’ unfilial or disobedient behavior. Although the father-daughter relationship in the play is often studied, to date, this relationship has not been investigated from the perspective of the Bowen family systems theory. Thus, the present study adopts the new interdisciplinary research method, the Bowen theory, to interpret the father-daughter relationship in King Lear. The focus of this article is to analyse the level of self-differentiation of Lear and the three daughters, namely Regan, Goneril, Cordelia in King Lear. It will thoroughly investigate the fusion and differentiation in their interactions with their original and nuclear families and examine the projection of Lear’s chronic anxiety on his daughters. Chronic anxiety due to social factors, such as humanism, feudalism, and patriarchy, and their impact on the father-daughter relationship in the tragedy, will also be investigated. It argues that the father-daughter relationship in King Lear is dysfunctional due to the lower level of differentiation of self between Lear and his three daughters, the projection of Lear’s anxiety onto the daughters, and the chronic anxiety brought about by societal regression. Hence, through the lens of the Bowen family systems theory, the study of the father-daughter relationship in the play can provide a new method for examining the dysfunctional family relationship in literary works.

Exploring changes in family functioning when a child participates in a School‐Based Filial Therapy program

AbstractChild focus is a central construct within Bowen family systems theory (Bowen theory). A clinical implication is that mental health treatment focusing on a child may unwittingly reinforce the operation of child‐focused processes, which undermine rather than enhance child well‐being. The concept of child focus in Bowen theory presents significant implications for professionals working in school settings and in fields such as children's mental health, which are inherently child‐focused. Bowen theory is the guiding theoretical framework for School‐Based Filial Therapy (SBFT). SBFT is a play therapy intervention that was initially established in remote and outer‐regional New South Wales, Australia in response to the low availability of children's mental health services and the significant barriers associated with caregiver engagement in children's mental health treatment. It involves trained school personnel facilitating therapeutic play sessions with children experiencing emotional–behavioural problems. The intervention occurs on school grounds, during school hours, and children's family members do not participate in the intervention. This mixed‐methods study examines the impact of children's participation in SBFT upon family functioning. Interviews with caregivers (n = 10) of children who participated in 10 SBFT sessions were analysed using content analysis. Quantitative data were collected using the Differentiation of Self Inventory – Short Form and Visual Analogue Scale – Family Functioning. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyse the pre‐ and post‐data. Qualitative outcomes indicated changes in the categories of child functioning, caregiver functioning, and extended family functioning, whilst child‐focused processes remained dominant but changed in intensity and valence following SBFT.

Multigenerational transmission of differentiation of self - Towarda more in-depth understanding of Bowen's theory concept.

The multigenerational transmission of differentiation of self is one of the basic concepts of Bowen's Family Systems Theory. It describes how the ability to build healthy and intimate relationships with others can be passed down through generations within the family system. Previous research devoted to the concept has yielded mixed results. However, significant discrepancies can be observed between methodological approaches and the resulting understanding of the similarity in self-differentiation observed between parents and children. The present study examines these inconsistencies and explores the process of transmission on a multifaceted basis. Based on a series of confirmatory factor analyses, our findings lend support to Bowen's theory hypothesis and demonstrate that both parental sex and that of the child play a crucial role in transmission. The article highlights the importance of addressing family issues in promoting satisfying personal and social functioning among young people.

Differentiation of Family System Inventory (DoFSI): Development and content validation of a new qualitative family intervention and evaluation tool

AbstractEver since family systems therapy became a field of study in the mid‐20th century, family functioning has defied numeric data, making families about as easy to measure as the quantum world, with all their complexity and variability – and messiness. Over the years, numerous quantitative measures have attempted to master this feat, with varying success. However, quantitative, postpositivist measures do not collect rich, meaningful data about the lived experiences of real people in unique family situations. The qualitative instrument developed and validated in this study, however, utilised participant data for its final version to increase its relevance and practicality. By soliciting the input of participants in the process of psychosocial research and intervention development, this applied study aims to improve both adherence to and effectiveness of the treatment tool, bridging the gap between research and real life. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study gathered data from nine participants on the feasibility, acceptability, usability and relevance of a new family systems intervention tool, the Differentiation of Family System Inventory (DoFSI), founded on Bowen Family Systems theory (BFST) and Papero's five‐dimensional BFST‐derived framework which follows the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) established by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2009. According to the preponderance of the data, the DoFSI is user‐friendly, practical, relevant, and useful as a tool for ongoing reflection and growth and is appropriate for both personal and professional use. The data affirmed the practicality, content validity and usable format of the inventory, while implicating and prompting a return to Bowen's seminal work, Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, to ensure the content validity of the final version of the instrument, a derivative of the study data.

Differentiation of self and relationship attachment, quality, and stability: A path analysis of dyadic and longitudinal data from Spanish and U.S. couples.

In the current study, we examined the relationship between differentiation of self (DoS) and key relationship functioning variables among couples. This is the first study to test such relationships using a cross-cultural longitudinal approach (i.e., samples from Spain and the U.S.) while controlling for stressful life events-a key theoretical construct in Bowen Family Systems Theory. A sample of 958 individuals (n = 137 couples from Spain, and n = 342 couples from U.S.) was used in cross sectional and longitudinal models to analyze the effects of a shared reality construct of DoS on anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, relationship stability, and relationship quality while considering gender and culture. Our cross-sectional results indicated that men and women from both cultures experienced an increase in DoS over time. DoS predicted increased relationship quality and stability and decreased anxious and avoidant attachment in U.S. participants. Longitudinally, DoS predicted increased relationship quality and decreased anxious attachment for Spanish women and men, while it predicted greater relationship quality and stability and decreased anxious and avoidant attachment of U.S. couples. Implications of these mixed findings are discussed. Higher levels of DoS are linked with a better couple relationship across time, despite varying levels of stressful life events. Although some cultural differences regarding the links between relationship stability and avoidant attachment exist, this positive link between differentiation and the couple relationship is mostly consistent across the U.S. and Spain. The implications and relevance for integration into research and practice are discussed.

Bowen Informed Therapy Integrated with Gene Keys

The mental health professions require innovation in order to advance theory and practice. This article presents reimagined therapeutic work that joins the metaphysical element of Gene Keys with the largely accepted theoretical approach of Bowen Family Systems Theory. We propose the integration of metaphysics as a way to facilitate higher levels of differentiation – particularly in clients who have an expanded worldview inclusive of metaphysics. The reader is asked to stretch their beliefs and perspective as they read through this paper.

Handbook of Bowen family systems theory and research methods: A systems model for family research. Keller, M. N., & Noone, R. J. (Eds.) (2020). Routledge. 468 pp., $95.96 (paperback)

Journal of Marital and Family TherapyEarly View BOOK REVIEW Handbook of Bowen family systems theory and research methods: A systems model for family research. M. N. Keller, & R. J. Noone (Eds.) (2020). Routledge. 468 pp., $95.96 (paperback) Marsha J. Vaughn PhD, LMFT, Marsha J. Vaughn PhD, LMFT orcid.org/0000-0002-1434-3480 Department of Couple and Family Therapy, Adler University, Chicago, Illinois, USASearch for more papers by this author Marsha J. Vaughn PhD, LMFT, Marsha J. Vaughn PhD, LMFT orcid.org/0000-0002-1434-3480 Department of Couple and Family Therapy, Adler University, Chicago, Illinois, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 08 October 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12615Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation