ABSTRACT

The practice of couples and family therapists rests on a growing empirical base of outcome evidence, drawn from studies of therapeutic efficacy and effectiveness. According to Bergin and Garfield, the marital and family therapy approaches have been subjected to rigorous scrutiny, with only a few other forms of psychotherapy so frequently studied Studies report the use of controlled and uncontrolled group comparison designs, single case designs, and studies comparing the relative efficacy of the different family therapy approaches. When working therapeutically with severe problems, such as schizophrenia and adolescent conduct disorder, there is increasing evidence of the value of treatment packages, of which family therapy is a part. The cost-effectiveness advantages of family based interventions for some problems are beginning to emerge from a few studies. This chapter demonstrates the effectiveness of systemic couples therapy for moderate to severe depression.