Dysfunctional Family Patterns Research Articles

Multi-family therapy for veteran and refugee families: a Delphi study

BackgroundResearch indicates that Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has an extensive impact on family relationships. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of empirically supported interventions addressing family functioning and PTSD. In the Netherlands, it is considered good clinical practice to offer multi-family therapy (MFT) to veteran and refugee families. MFT for traumatized families aims to address the dysfunctional family patterns that have evolved to address the consequences with trauma.MethodThe aim of this study is to generate a common framework for the practical impact and active ingredients of MFT in families confronted with trauma. The Delphi method was used to study the expert opinion of 11 therapists in Dutch expert trauma institutes.ResultsThe results indicate that MFT is a promising treatment for families dealing with the consequences of trauma. According to experts, positive outcomes include an increased understanding between family members, particularly visible in the de-escalation of conflicts within the family, and improved parenting. One explanation for the effectiveness of MFT with these target groups is its defining feature of therapy with several families.ConclusionsThe findings support the importance of considering family relationships and the family context in interventions for traumatized individuals.

Young Adults’ Individuation with Mother and Father as a Function of Dysfunctional Family Patterns, Gender and Parental Divorce

ABSTRACTThis study analyzes young adults’ individuation with mother (IM) and father (IF) as a function of dysfunctional family patterns (DFPs)—caught between, parental pressure, unfair caregiving, and feeling deprived—as well as gender and parental divorce. It examines if parental divorce is associated with the presence of DFP in the young adults’ family of origin and if the presence of DFP explains the association between parental divorce and lower levels of connectedness between offspring and fathers. A sample of 501 Spanish young adults (20–31 years old) answered the Spanish version of the YAGISS questionnaire (Pérez-Testor et al., 2008). Results showed that each DFP was associated with individuation in a different way. Parental divorce predicts the presence of all DFP and only parental pressure and feeling deprived explain the association between parental divorce and connectedness with father. Results varied as a function of the gender of parents and offspring. Implications for practice are discussed.

The relationship between dysfunctional family patterns and symptom severity among adolescent patients with eating disorders: A gender-specific approach

ABSTRACTThe objective of the authors in this study was to identify factors related to dysfunctional family functioning that may be associated with the severity of symptoms among adolescent patients with an eating disorder (ED) at first-contact care. A total of forty-eight mothers and forty-five fathers of fifty patients with EDs were recruited from an ED unit in Madrid, Spain, between October 2011 and July 2012. Parents completed self-report assessments related to family functioning and psychological wellbeing. Patients went through clinical interviews and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing symptom severity. Compared to fathers, mothers showed higher levels of anxiety and emotional over-involvement and perceived to a greater degree the positive and negative aspects of their experience as caregivers. Regarding the relationship between family functioning and symptom severity, mothers’ perceptions of their family relationships as enmeshed and less adaptive, along with anxiety, accounted for 39% of variance in the severity of ED symptoms. Anxiety and symptom accommodation by the fathers accounted for 27% of variance in the symptom severity. Interventions that help parents to cope with their caregiving role should target behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects of their functioning and be gender-specific, to improve the outcome of ED in patients.

A Battery for the Assessment of Young Spanish Adults

In Spanish families, parent-child relationships play a crucial role, but they also present specific risks for the children’s transition to adulthood which may hinder their individuation and foster the creation of dysfunctional family patterns in their family of origin. In Spain there is a lack of instruments to assess parent-child relationships in these terms. The present study examines the psychometric properties of a battery to assess individuation with mother, individuation with father, and the existence of dysfunctional family patterns (DFP) in 535 young Spanish adults (20–31 years). Items from the Munich Individuation Test of Adolescence ( Walper, 1998 ), the Network of Relationships Inventory ( Furman & Buhrmester, 1985 ), the Filial Responsibility Scale ( Jurkovic & Thirkield, 1999 ), and the Feeling Caught Between Parents and Parental Pressure scales ( Walper & Schwarz, 2001 ) have been used. The initial structure obtained through exploratory factor analysis underwent a confirmatory factor analysis. The results hint at a model adjusted to the data which guarantees the construct validity of the proposed structure. Internal consistencies for scales and subscales were acceptable to excellent, with α ranging from .62 to .91. Different indices of concurrent validity were also analyzed. The results generally support the reliability and validity of the new instrument. Limitations are discussed.

Use of between-session homework in systems-oriented individual psychotherapy.

This article focuses on the use of between-session homework assignments in Unified Therapy, an individual psychotherapy approach that integrates psychodynamic, cognitive‐behavioral, and family systems therapies. Unified therapy theory posits that, in clients with personality disturbances, ongoing and recurrent interpersonal behavior patterns within their family of origin serve as both behavioral triggers to and reinforcers of self-destructive or self-defeating behavior. Family behavior is believed to be the most powerful such environmental factor and is believed to have far more influence on patients than a therapist. Homework assignments are geared toward implementing strategies by which dysfunctional family patterns are altered. Strategies are designed by the patient and therapist, using role-playing techniques, which are described. A case example is presented to demonstrate the use of such homework throughout the arc of psychotherapy.

Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

Therapeutic supervision with families of high‐conflict divorce

AbstractThe author describes therapeutic supervision by a therapist for helping families of high‐conflict divorce, a model derived from psychoanalytic principles applied to the study and treatment of dysfunctional family patterns at times of transition of the children from the care of one separated parent to another. Therapeutic supervision allows the collection of rich, accurate data about the family's functioning that inform the court's custody decisions, and it offers a naturalistic setting in which to study conflict and vulnerability and intervene in the form of powerful verbal and behavioral interpretations. The author gives guidelines for setting conditions and agreements that support the hard work of therapeutic supervision, and she concludes with a clinical case study. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa

This study investigated the relationship between the perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Subjects were evaluated by diagnostic clinical interview using DSM-III-R criteria for EDs, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version (SADS-L), and two self-report measures, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). A significant association was found between self-reported depressive symptomatology and perceived poor family functioning. Subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) reported a significantly more dysfunctional family background than subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN). In our sample, the presence of self-reported depressive symptomatology was a more powerful predictive variable for perceived family dysfunction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Also, the diagnosis of BN was a more consistent predictor of dysfunctional family interaction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Depressive symptoms and EDs seem to play different roles in the way in which they contribute to dysfunctional family patterns.

Job Description as a Therapeutic Tool

This paper will present a case study in which a unique process of using a job description was utilized to help the client deal with family of origin issues and dysfunctional family patterns. The therapeutic paradigm used in this case was one of empowerment, and as such, the job description exercise was structured to maximize the client's sense of agency. By way of periodic evaluation with the client, the usefulness of using this novel technique as a metaphor was examined and documented. In conclusion, the author presents a variety of situations where the use of “job description” may be utilized with families and individuals.

The ‘Causes’ of Teenage Pregnancy: Review of South African Research — Part 2

This article forms the second of a two-part series in which South African research on teenage pregnancy is reviewed. Part 1 of the series dealt with the consequences of teenage pregnancy; this paper reviews the ‘causes’ thereof. International literature is incorporated in the discussion by way of comparison. Contributory factors which have been investigated by South African researchers include: reproductive ignorance; the earlier occurrence of menarche; risk- taking behaviour; psychological problems; peer influence; coercive sexual relations; dysfunctional family patterns; poor health services; socio-economic status; the breakdown of cultural traditions; and the cultural value placed on children. Preston-Whyte and colleagues present a revisionist argument, stating that early pregnancy may represent a rational life choice for certain adolescent women. The article is concluded with comments on methodological problems encountered in the South African research, and a discussion on the implications in terms of policy formulation.

Magnesium-adjacent for the therapy of depressive disorders

This study investigated the relationship between the perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Subjects were evaluated by diagnostic clinical interview using DSM-III-R criteria for EDs, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version (SADS-L), and two self-report measures, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). A significant association was found between self-reported depressive symptomatology and perceived poor family functioning. Subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) reported a significantly more dysfunctional family background than subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN). In our sample, the presence of self-reported depressive symptomatology was a more powerful predictive variable for perceived family dysfunction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Also, the diagnosis of BN was a more consistent predictor of dysfunctional family interaction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Depressive symptoms and EDs seem to play different roles in the way in which they contribute to dysfunctional family patterns.

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:Shame in Context. By Susan B. Miller.Coping With Aggressive Behaviour. By Glynis M. Breakwell.Handbook of Relational Diagnosis and Dysfunctional Family Patterns. Edited by F. W. Kaslow.Theoretical Approaches to Obsessive—Compulsive Disorder. By Ian Jakes.Disorders of Personality: DSM‐IV and Beyond. Edited by J. Millon & R. D. Davis.Functional Analysis in Clinical Psychology. By Peter Sturmey.Group Psychotherapy with Addicted Populations: An Integration of Twelve‐Step and Psychodynamic Theory, 2nd ed. By Philip J. Flores.

Family of origin influences on young adult career decision problems: A test of bowenian theory

This study tested the ability of Bowenian family systems theory to explain career decision problems in young adults. Bowenian theory asserts that anxiety is the mediator of dysfunctional family dynamics and career decision problems. A sample of 1,006 young adults completed self-report measures of fusion, triangulation, and intimidation, trait anxiety, and career decision problems. Path analysis was used to test a model wherein anxiety mediates the effects of dysfunctional family patterns on career-decision-making problems. Analyses supported the mediating role of anxiety for fusion and intimidation; triangulation was not related to career decision problems. Implications for family therapists are discussed.

Review of Handbook of relational diagnosis and dysfunctional family patterns.

Review of Handbook of relational diagnosis and dysfunctional family patterns.

Review of Handbook of Relational Diagnosis and Dysfunctional Family Patterns.

Review of Handbook of Relational Diagnosis and Dysfunctional Family Patterns.

Adult children of alcoholics: An exploration of Axis II disorders and replicated dysfunctional family patterns

This study examined Axis II personality disorders and replicated dysfunctional family patterns in adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). Parental and spousal confirming and disconfirming communication patterns, and replicated physical, sexual, and emotional abuses were explored. Sixty ACAs were assessed using structured clinical interviews and self-report measures. Sixty-five percent met DSM-IIIR criteria for one or more Axis II disorders. Failure to feel confirmed (valued) by one's alcoholic parent was significantly associated with ACA Axis II disorders and alcohol abuse. Significant relationships between physical and sexual abuses and Axis II pathology were found. Replication of childhood abuse and dysfunctional communication was also noted.

Social Work Practice with Family Systems in Admission to Homes for the Aged

Family systems theory provides a conceptual framework for social workers practicing with elders and their families. Processes and techniques developed in family therapy can be incorporated into social work practice approaches. In this way all family members can be helped to preserve functional relationships and modify dysfunctional family patterns that currently exist as seen in admissions to long-term facilities.

Structural family therapy: its application to Chinese families.

In summary, it can be stated that structural family therapy, for a variety of reasons, offers an appropriate treatment model for dysfunctional Chinese families. Since the family, not the individual, is the more important unit in Chinese culture, the model offers the opportunity for the total family to participate in changing dysfunctional individual and family patterns. The model focuses upon structure, which is the essence of the Chinese family. In addition, it is problem- and growth-oriented, creates a nondefensive atmosphere in which family members can change, and works toward helping family members improve communication and modify behavior. It is important to stress that it does not focus upon helping family members make significant changes in their value system. Furthermore, the model can be applied to most problem areas, because it is assumed that the presenting problem is reinforced by family structure and repetitive patterns. Consequently, family interactional patterns that reinforce the presenting problems are the major focus of the treatment. Finally, the model allows for the utilization of theories and practice principles of other clinical approaches. Structural family therapists assume the role of authority figures who are experts in family therapy. They view the family within the context of its environment, are sensitive to the cultural norms of the group with which they are working, and utilize supportive services as an integral part of treatment. More important, therapists believe in the power of families to make changes and work toward helping them become involved in a new process of interaction that will lead to satisfactory changes.