Skip to main content
Log in

Multi-Family Psychoeducation Groups For Childhood Mood Disorders: A Program Description And Preliminary Efficacy Data

  • Published:
Contemporary Family Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Existing literature suggests family-based psychoeducation effectively reduces relapse rates, thereby lowering costs and improving quality of life for adults with schizophrenia and major mood disorders. However, similar programs for families with impaired children are lacking. This paper reports on efforts to develop, implement, and test the efficacy of a six-session, manual-driven multi-family psy-choeducation group therapy program for families of children or adolescents with a mood disorder. In this paper we provide a clinical description of the program along with pilot data, which suggest consumer satisfaction as well as improvement in family climate following participation in this multifamily psychoeducation program.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fristad, M., Gavazzi, S. M., Centolella, D., & Soldano, K. (1996). Psychoeducation: An intervention strategy for families of children with mood disorders. Contemporary Family Therapy, 18, 371–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fristad, M. A. & Miller, I. W. (in press a). Psychoeducation/social skills training programs (PE/SST) for dysfunctional families. In R. Pressman & R. Sauber (Eds.), Treatment and statistical manual for behavioral and mental disorders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

  • Fristad, M. A., Arnett, M. M., & Gavazzi, S. M. (in press b). The impact of psychoeducation workshops on families of mood disordered inpatients. Family Therapy.

  • Fristad, M. A., Gavazzi, S. M., & Soldano, K. W. (in press c). Naming the enemy: Learning to differentiate mood disorder “symptoms” from the “self” that experiences them. Journal of Family Psychotherapy.

  • Fristad, M. A., Topolosky, S., Weller, E. B., & Weller, R. A. (1992). Depression and learning disabilities in children. Journal of Affective Disorders., 26, 53–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavazzi, S. M. (1995). The Growing Up FAST: Families and adolescents surviving and thrivingTM program. Journal of Adolescence, 18, 31–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavazzi, S. M., Alford, K. A., & McKenry, P. C. (1996). Culturally specific programs for foster care youth: The sample case of an African-American rites of passage program. Family Relations, 45, 166–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenspan, S. I., & Lieberman, A. F. (1989). A quantitative approach to the clinical assessment of representational elaboration and differentiation in children two to four. In S. I. Greenspan & G. H. Pollack (Eds.), The Course of Life: Volume II Early Childhood (pp. 387–442). Madison, CT: International Universities Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holder, D. & Anderson, C. M. (1990). Psychoeducational family intervention for depressed patients and their families. In G. I. Keitner (Ed.), Depression and families: Impact and treatment (pp. 157–184). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fristad, M.A., Gavazzi, S.M. & Soldano, K.W. Multi-Family Psychoeducation Groups For Childhood Mood Disorders: A Program Description And Preliminary Efficacy Data. Contemporary Family Therapy 20, 385–402 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022477215195

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022477215195

Navigation