Negative effects on family functioning from psychosocial treatments: a recommendation for expanded safety monitoring

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José Szapocznik1, Guillermo Prado

  • 1Center for Family Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA. jszapocz@med.miami.edu

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|September 19, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Psychosocial treatments, unlike biomedical products, lack safety testing for family impact. Unexpectedly, non-family therapies in three trials worsened family functioning, highlighting the need for safety research.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Family Studies
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Biomedical products undergo rigorous safety testing for organ systems.
  • Psychosocial treatments currently lack mandatory safety evaluations concerning social systems, particularly families.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present evidence on the potential negative effects of psychosocial treatments on family functioning.
  • To advocate for the documentation and investigation of family-level outcomes in psychosocial treatment research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing family and non-family psychosocial treatments.
  • Inclusion of studies measuring family functioning through independent ratings or self-reports.

Main Results:

  • Three independent RCTs revealed significant declines in family functioning in the non-family treatment groups.
  • These negative effects on family functioning were unexpected findings across all reviewed studies.

Conclusions:

  • Psychosocial interventions, especially with vulnerable populations, may carry risks of adverse effects on family systems.
  • Further research is warranted to determine the necessity of safety studies for psychosocial treatments to protect family well-being.

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