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This article reports the therapeutic resources in the natural outdoors that were conducive to the therapeutic process in a multi‐family therapy (MFT) for enhancing the self‐efficacy and collective family efficacy of Chinese families of adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Hong Kong. Photo‐elicited interviews with adolescents with ADHD and parent focus groups were employed to explore the participatory experiences of the families. A total of thirteen Chinese families of adolescents (aged 11–15 years) with ADHD participated in this study (fourteen adolescents with ADHD, eight fathers and ten mothers). The present study explored the potential therapeutic resources in the natural outdoors, namely a change in the group environment, spaciousness and darkness. The use of the natural outdoors in MFT proved to be a strategy useful for creating a naturalistic group setting within which family participants can more easily enact changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the results of a clinical study that assessed the treatment efficacy of an adapted model of multiple family therapy (MFT) in helping Hong Kong Chinese parents recovering from depression. A total of sixty‐one depressed parents were assigned to either the control group (CG) or the experimental group (EG) on the basis of their motivation and commitment to the MFT programme. Data were collected using standardised measures in the pre‐treatment phase (T1), in the post‐treatment phase (T2) and at a three‐month follow‐up (T3). No significant difference was found between the EG and the CG in regard to the effect of MFT on the parental and family functioning of the depressed parents. However, after the MFT, the EG depressed parents' level of psychological distress was significantly reduced, an effect which was sustained at 3‐month follow‐up. Clinical and research implications of the study are discussed. Practitioner pointsMultiple family therapy (MFT) is useful for Hong Kong Chinese parents with depression in recovery.Depressed parents' psychological distress was reduced after MFT.Depressed parents with lower levels of education are likely to need support or interventions additional to MFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian Chinese families are experiencing constant changes. While commonly known cultural themes such as 'face', 'hierarchy', 'harmony' and 'filial piety' are useful references and important caveats in clinical settings, they are most useful when the context of larger socio-economic and political developments of recent decades is taken into account. This article is co-authored by seven experienced Asian therapists from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. They share their insights into working with Chinese families in Asia. In addition to considering cultural dimensions, the authors attempt to consolidate the understanding of Asian Chinese families by focusing on the effects of socio-economic and political development. Other than focusing on the unique characteristics and challenges of working with Chinese families in their region, they highlight the most useful therapeutic stances and approaches when working with Asian Chinese families. Practitioner points Be mindful that changing family structures affect family dynamics, childcentric values and work-life balance., Chinese families expect to receive advice and instruction. Therapists need to be direct and authoritative where appropriate to avoid causing dissatisfaction, Chinese families can be helped to negotiate their emerging needs for the differentiation of self, A possible therapeutic option is use of self and the ability to embrace uncertainty [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fathers' role in assisting the recovery of young Chinese diagnosed with anorexia nervosa has seldom been documented in Chinese contexts, namely Hong Kong and Shenzhen. In this article the author argues for the importance of engaging the absent Chinese father in helping in this context, describing the process of family treatment and highlighting the treatment principles and skills in achieving the goal of helping, illustrating it with two clinical cases from two Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Practitioner points Engaging the absent father in treatment to join hands with his spouse is crucial to assist a young Chinese person with anorexia nervosa to recover., Translation of the young person's symptoms as a developmental challenge is clinically useful to achieve the goal of paternal engagement., Increased paternal involvement to mediate mother-daughter conflicts, raising the father's self-confidence and improved marital relationships are clinically useful [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a qualitative study on family therapy conducted in Hong Kong, which aims to identify Chinese familie's treatment expectations, delineate their subjective experience and the outcome in treatment. Research on familie's treatment experience is important for Chinese societies because cultural differences between the East and West are likely to create differences in treatment expectations. In the light of these cultural differences, the conventional practice of family therapists is to accommodate the client's expectations and apply treatment approaches developed in the West with cultural modifications based on these expectations. During treatment, family therapists should actively provide information, offer advice and suggest alternative ways of managing problems. Families for the study were drawn from those receiving family therapy service from a university-based family therapy practice and research project. Three research assistants (with no involvement in the treatment) interviewed each of these families as a unit in the university center three months after the treatment, with a research assistant paying a home visit to one family that refused to return.