[Multi-family group therapy in Germany]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Family Therapy

Background:

• Multi-family therapy (MFT), a group therapy model involving multiple families and an index patient, is gaining recognition.
• An exploratory study was conducted to assess the implementation status and common factors of MFT programs in Germany.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current state of multi-family therapy implementation across Germany.
• To identify common therapeutic factors contributing to the effectiveness of multi-family therapy.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide survey of MFT providers in Germany was conducted.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
• Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

Main Results:

• Twenty-five MFT programs were examined, with 21 targeting families of emotionally disturbed children and adolescents, primarily those with social behavior disturbances.
• Over 4,000 families annually receive MFT, with five programs undergoing systematic evaluation.
• MFT is characterized by systematic, group-oriented therapy methods.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic factors identified include problem and resource activation, perspective change, social learning models, self-efficacy, and the therapeutic relationship.
• Systematic evaluations and randomized controlled trials are recommended to further validate MFT effectiveness.