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Childhood behavioral and emotional disorders
William F Northey1, Karen C Wells, Wendy K Silverman
1American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 112 South Alfred, St. Alexandria, Virginia 22314, USA. bnorthey@aamft.org
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
|November 5, 2003
Summary
Family therapy for childhood behavioral and emotional disorders is increasingly researched. Family-based interventions show results comparable or superior to individual treatments, particularly for externalizing disorders.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Family Therapy Research
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Childhood behavioral and emotional disorders are prevalent.
- Evidence-based treatments are crucial for effective intervention.
- Family involvement is increasingly recognized as a key factor in treatment success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on family treatment for childhood behavioral and emotional disorders.
- To identify trends in research volume and focus.
- To compare the efficacy of family-based versus individually oriented interventions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of studies on family treatment for childhood behavioral and emotional disorders.
- Analysis of research trends since 1995.
- Comparison of intervention outcomes based on disorder type and therapy model.
Main Results:
- Significant increase in family treatment studies since 1995, with variation by disorder.
- More research exists for externalizing disorders (conduct disorder, ADHD, ODD) than internalizing disorders (depression, anxiety).
- Family-based interventions demonstrate comparable or superior outcomes to individual treatments.
Conclusions:
- Family-based interventions are effective for childhood behavioral and emotional disorders.
- Cognitive behavioral family therapy and parent management training are the most studied models.
- Future research should explore a wider range of disorders and therapy models.