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MULTI‐FAMILY PSYCHOEDUCATION GROUPS IN THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH MOOD DISORDERS
Author(s) -
Fristad Mary A.,
GoldbergArnold Jill S.,
Gavazzi Stephen M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2003.tb01691.x
Subject(s) - psychoeducation , mood , psychology , family therapy , clinical psychology , adjunctive treatment , mood disorders , psychiatry , medicine , anxiety , intervention (counseling)
This study examined the impact of adjunctive multi‐family psychoeduction grups (MFPG) on mood‐disordered children aged 8 to 11 and their families. Participants were 35 children and 47 parents from families randomly assigned to either immediate MFPG plus treatment as usual (n = 18) or a 6‐month wait‐list condition plus treatment as usual (n = 17). At the 6 month follow up immediate treatment families reported: Increased parental knowldege about childhood mood symptoms; increased positive family interactions as reported by the parent; increased perceptions of parental support as reported by children; and increased utilization of appropriate services by families. Expected impact on decreasing negative family interactions was not found. Results are largely consistent with hypothesized findings and support the need to further investigate the adjunctive role of psychoeducation in the treatment of childhood mood disorders.