Family therapy and systemic interventions for child-focussed problems: The evidence base

Abstract

This 25th anniversary review updates previous similar papers published in JFT in 2000, 2009, 2014 and 2019. It presents evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews for the effectiveness of systemic interventions for families of young people with common mental and physical health problems and other difficulties where children are the primary focus of concern. In this context, systemic interventions include both family therapy and other family-based approaches such as parent training, or parent-implemented interventions. There is now a substantial evidence base supporting the effectiveness of systemic interventions either alone or as part of multimodal programmes for infant mental health and sleep and feeding problems in infancy; recovery from child abuse and neglect; externalising and internalising problems; eating disorders; somatic problems; and psychosis.