BRIEF FOCAL FAMILY THERAPY WHEN THE CHILD IS THE REFERRED PATIENT–II. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS

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Abstract
Summary: The experience of a workshop set up within a Department of Child Psychiatry to foster family therapy and to develop a brief focal technique is described. Details are provided of the first 29 cases. Twenty‐two families engaged in therapy and the referred child improved in 19 (87%) of these cases. Family change was measured using a methodology developed by Malan to assess psychodynamic change in individuals and problems in adapting it are discussed. Eleven (50%) of the engaged famines improved. The pattern of child and family improvement supported the theory that a symptomatic child can be a manifestation of family pathology. A contraindication to the brief focal approach is past or present formal mental illness in a parent. Marital disturbance was frequently covert: this affected the therapeutic plan but was not related to outcome.

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