A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 6 studies with a total of 519 subjects. There was considerable heterogeneity between the studies including intervention (cognitive, behavioural, systemic, psychoeducational or other more unfamiliar theories of family therapy intervention), participants (adults, adolescents and children), and the disorder (measurement instruments). 'Family' was defined as the nuclear family, consisting of one or two parents and children. The family intervention had to consist of a minimum of six sessions, with a length of at least one hour.
There was moderate evidence, based on the non-combined findings from three studies, indicating that family therapy was more effective than no treatment or waiting list condition on decreasing depression, and on increasing family functioning. For other outcomes like hopelessness, trait anxiety, suicidal ideation or prevention and children´s conduct disorder, the evidence was limited or conflicting. When the effectiveness of family therapy is compared to the effectiveness of group interventions or individual cognitive or behavioural interventions from the results of other studies, it remains unclear whether family therapy is an effective intervention.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (unclear allocation concealment) and inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).
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