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Systemic therapy is a frequently used form of psychotherapy for the treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents. The present study reports the results of the first meta-analysis on the effects of systemic treatment of mental disorders and behavior problems in children and adolescents. Based on systematic search in electronic databases (PsycINFO, Psyndex, PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, CINAHL),k = 56 randomized, controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. We computed a random-effects meta-analysis. Systemic therapy showed small-to-medium effects in comparison with an untreated control group (posttest:k = 7,g = .59 standard deviation units, follow-up:k = 2,g = .27) and alternative treatment (posttest:k = 43,g = .32, follow-up:k = 38,g = .28). At follow-up, longer interventions produced larger effect sizes. No other moderator effects were identified. Although available randomized, controlled trials show convincing results, their effects refer to a limited number of systemic approaches and mental disorders, and also pertain to adolescents rather than younger children. Thus, more research is needed before more general conclusions about the effects of systemic therapy can be drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Objective We compared the levels of academic, physical, and social functioning of children and adolescents with chronic physical diseases with those of healthy peers or test norms. Methods A random effects meta-analysis was computed to integrate the results of 954 studies. Results Impairments of physical functioning (g = 0.82 standard deviation units) were stronger than impairments of academic (g = 0.53) and social functioning (g = 0.43). Children with cerebral palsy and spina bifida showed the largest levels of functional impairments. The levels of functional impairments also varied by year of publication, source of information, ethnicity, country, and sociodemographic equivalence of the compared groups. Conclusions More efforts are needed to develop and implement measures for the prevention of impaired functioning of children and adolescents with chronic physical illness and for the reduction of already existing impairments of their functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The present meta-analysis examines the relation between coparenting and child adjustment. Design. The authors integrate 59 studies and differentiate among cooperation, agreement, conflict, and triangulation as dimensions of coparenting. Further, they differentiate internalizing and externalizing symptoms, social functioning of children, and attachment as outcomes. Results. Effect sizes were generally small and, to some extent, moderated by age of the children, percentage of girls in the sample, clinical background of the sample, mono-informant bias, annual family income, and percentage of separated parents. Effect sizes remained significant after controlling for individual parenting or marital quality. Coparenting predicted change in child adjustment. Conclusions. Coparenting is important for the psychological adjustment of children. Research and practice should pay further regard to this construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present meta-analysis integrates results of 21 controlled couple-focused interventions with expectant and new parents. The interventions had, on average, small effects on couple communication (d = .28 standard deviation units) and psychological well-being (d = .21), as well as very small effects on couple adjustment (d = .09). Stronger effects emerged if the intervention included more than five sessions, included an antenatal and postnatal component, and was led by professionals rather than semiprofessionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]