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Disruptive behavior during adolescence is linked to severe problems for the youths later in life and poses challenges to the families, schools, and treatment systems these youths meet. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the short- and long-term effectiveness of functional family therapy (FFT) for adolescents aged 11–17 referred for disruptive behavior to Child Welfare Services in Norway. One hundred sixty-one youths (Mage = 14.7, 45.9% female) were randomly assigned to FFT (n = 88) or treatment as usual (TAU, n = 73). Primary outcomes were parent- and teacher-reported youth aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior, internalizing problems, and social skills; youth self-reported delinquency (SRD) and negative peer involvement; and teacher-reported academic performance and adaptive functioning. Outcomes were collected before treatment (pretest), 6 months after pretest (posttest), and 18 months after pretest (follow-up). The results showed no intervention effect for FFT compared to TAU between pretest and posttest (p >.05). Significant improvements between pretest and posttest were found for youth receiving both FFT and TAU on parent-reported aggressive and rule-breaking behavior, internalizing problems, and social skills (ranging from d = 0.56 to −0.45) and youth SRD (d = 0.29). Between posttest and follow-up, however, a significant intervention effect in favor of TAU was found for parent-reported youth internalizing (d = 0.27). Significant improvements between posttest and follow-up were also found for youth receiving both FFT and TAU on parent- and teacher-reported aggressive behavior. Findings did not support the hypothesized superiority of FFT over TAU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative language abilities are foundational to literacy development and are a culturally grounded measure of early literacy for Latino children. This study evaluates the impacts on narrative language abilities and the costs of a 4-week, strengths-based program that leverages two valued sociocultural practices with built-in benefits, personal narratives, and family food routines (e.g., grocery shopping), for improving Latino kindergarteners' learning outcomes in the United States. Two-hundred and 34 children (M age = 67 months; 51% girls; 13 schools) and their parents participated in a cluster randomized trial. Children produced personal narratives at three time points: pretest, end-of-treatment, and 5-month follow-up. Four narrative features were measured: narrative coherence, elaborations, word types, and literate language features. Large positive impacts were observed on all four narrative features at the end-of-treatment posttest (d = 1.21-1.76). There was suggestive evidence of moderate impacts on one narrative feature (i.e., narrative coherence) at the 5-month follow-up (d = .59). The costs required to implement the family program were relatively low. Findings highlight the potential value of implementing this strengths-based program in schools serving Latino kindergarteners using a rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted a randomized trial to examine the efficacy of the Boys Town In-Home Family Services (IHFS) program for families of high-risk youth. Participants were recruited from a state helpline for families struggling with poor family functioning and child emotional or behavioral issues. Consent was obtained for 300 of which 152 were randomly assigned to participate in IHFS for 3-4 months and 148 were assigned to the services as usual comparison group. For the families in the treatment group, 18% did not participant in the intervention, and 66% of families received 20 or more service hours. Parent report data were collected at intake, post, as well 6 and 12 months after post data collection. Data were collected on constructs such as caregiver strain, family functioning, parenting, family resources, and parent report of child behavior. Piecewise analyses of the intake to post data indicated significantly greater reductions in caregiver strain for the treatment condition. Given the conservative corrections for the use of multiple tests, no other measures demonstrated significant differences. For the piecewise model of the maintenance phase, there were no significant differences between groups aside from caregiver strain that showed a significant improvement for the comparison condition. Supplementary dose-response analyses indicated that for most families there was an ideal dosage of about 25-75 hr to bring about the largest improvements in caregiver strain, parenting skills, and child behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change (STIC) is a multisystemic and multidimensional feedback system that provides therapists feedback about systemic domains of client change in individual, couple, and family therapy over time. The goal of the present study is to investigate the sensitivity to change of the scores of the STIC Initial Scales. In total, 583 clients who voluntarily sought individual, couple, or family therapy services and participated in a randomized controlled trial study were included in the study. Their pre- and posttherapy responses to the STIC Initial measures and corresponding validation measures for individual functioning, couple relationship, child adjustment, and family functioning were compared. The results support the sensitivity to change of the scores of the four STIC Initial Scales investigated: Individual Problems and Strengths (IPS), Relationship with Partner (RWP), Family/Household (FH), and Child Problems and Strengths (CPS). Of particular note, the IPS demonstrated even greater change over time than the BDI-II, BAI, and OQ-45. The discriminant validity of measuring change with the CPS was not supported. Thus, the STIC Initial IPS, RWP, and FH can be usefully employed to measure multisystemic changes in both research and clinical work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Couples form the foundation of military families. However, on average, couples become significantly less satisfied with their relationships and marriages across the deployment cycle. Reduced satisfaction places partners at risk for psychological distress and family problems. The present study examines the effects of a family based reintegration program aimed at enhancing reflective functioning in recently deployed service members and their home-front partners on relationship satisfaction. Results reveal that most dyads report being satisfied in their relationship at baseline. However, greater couple distress was related to more psychological distress in both partners. For spouses, intervention had a positive, significant effect on relationship satisfaction. Variations in relative risk for couple distress among service members and their spouses highlight the need to assess both partners to clarify risk factors and modifiable targets of intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vocational supports for emerging adults with serious mental health conditions who are at high risk for rearrest are more effectively served within Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults (MST-EA) through vocationally enhanced MST-EA Coaches or through referral to state vocational rehabilitation services. Method: A pilot randomized controlled trial examined two MST-EA Coaching approaches. In the Standard Coach + VR condition (n = 16), MST-EA Coaches delivered standard skills curricula to participants and referred them to state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for vocational supports. In the Vocational Coach (VC) condition (n = 16), MST-EA Coaches delivered the standard skills curricula enhanced with extensive education/employment components. Analyses included pre- to posttreatment comparisons of vocational outcomes, and between groups comparisons of fidelity, satisfaction, and services utilization. Results: Those in the VC condition had a 12-fold increase in the odds of posttreatment vocational activity compared with those in the Standard Coach + VR condition (92.9 vs. 57.1% employed or in school, respectively). Subgroup analyses of those who engaged in Coaching showed that there was specifically an increase in the odds of posttreatment educational engagement among those in the VC condition compared with those in Standard Coach + VR. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Based on the strength of the findings in this small pilot study the VC should be included in future clinical trials of MST-EA to maximize treatment impact for supporting emerging adult vocational functioning and thus reducing antisocial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although preterm infants are at risk for social deficits, interventions to improve mother--infant interaction in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are not part of standard care (SC). Study participants were a subset from a randomized controlled trial of a new intervention for premature infants, the Family Nurture Intervention (FNI), designed to help mothers and infants establish an emotional connection. At infants' 4 months corrected age, mother--infant face-to-face interaction was filmed and coded on a 1-s time base for mother touch, infant vocal affect, mother gaze, and infant gaze. Time-series models assessed self- and interactive contingency. Comparing FNI to SC dyads, FNI mothers showed more touch and calmer touch patterns, and FNI infants showed more angry-protest but less cry. In maternal touch self-contingency, FNI mothers were more likely to sustain positive touch and to repair moments of negative touch by transitioning to positive touch. In maternal touch interactive contingency, when infants looked at mothers, FNI mothers were likely to respond with more positive touch. In infant vocal affect self-contingency, FNI infants were more likely to sustain positive vocal affect and to transition from negative to positive vocal affect. In maternal gaze interactive contingency, following infants' looking at mother, FNI mothers of male infants were more likely to look at their sons. In maternal gaze self-contingency, following mothers' looking away, FNI mothers of male infants were more likely to look at their sons. Documentation of positive effects of the FNI for 4-month mother-infant face-to-face communication is useful clinically and has important implications for an improved developmental trajectory of these infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stress of multiple deployments and exposure to combat places service members at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may detrimentally affect parenting. Evidence-based parenting programs have been successful in promoting adaptive parenting practices among families exposed to stress. However, the effects of preventive interventions on parenting may vary by military parent's PTSD. The current study includes families who participated in a randomized controlled trial of a parenting intervention for military families known as After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT). Families were randomized to either a 14-week, group-based parenting program or a comparison group. Participants included families with 4- to 12-year-old children in which at least 1 parent deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (N = 336; 945 individuals). Structural equation modeling was used to examine parent self-reported PTSD as a potential moderator of the relationship between intent-to-treat status and effective parenting practices 12 months postbaseline while accounting for baseline effective parenting, length and number of deployments, and family demographics. Father PTSD was a significant moderator, such that the intervention was less effective for fathers who met clinical levels of PTSD. No significant moderation effects were found among mothers. These findings may have important implications for the development of future evidence-based parenting programs. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a randomized, intent-to-treat design, this pilot study examined the feasibility and short-term effects of Siblings Are Special (SIBS) with a sample of 54 low-income Latino families (91% Mexican-origin). Participants were older (M = 10.8 years; SD = .46) and younger siblings (M = 8.4 years; SD = 1.13), and their parents (94% biological mothers), who were randomly assigned within school to the intervention (n = 28) or no-attention control (n = 26) condition. The intervention condition included 12 weekly afterschool sessions (90 min each) for sibling pairs and 3 family nights for parents and siblings (2 hr each). SIBS was designed to enhance sibling relationships via 2 primary intervention targets: (a) children’s capacities that underlie positive sibling dynamics, including relationship skills, cognitions, and shared activities; and (b) parenting of siblings, specifically, enhancing positive guidance and involvement and discouraging authoritarian control. Pre- and posttest data were gathered from siblings and parents. Recruitment and implementation data revealed high rates of attendance and completion, and high ratings of parent satisfaction with the program. Further, analyses suggested the program had positive effects of small to modest magnitude on posttest measures of sibling and parent–child relationship quality, parenting of siblings, older siblings’ emotional efficacy, and parents’ depressive symptoms and parenting stress, controlling for pretest levels of all outcomes and family background characteristics. Discussion addresses the feasibility of sibling-focused programs with low-income Latino families and makes recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family-centered prevention programs are understudied for their effects on adolescent depression, despite considerable evidence that supports their effectiveness for preventing escalation in youth problem behavior and substance use. This study was conducted with 2 overarching goals: (a) replicate previous work that has implicated the Family Check-Up (FCU), a multilevel, gated intervention model embedded in public middle schools, as an effective strategy for preventing growth in adolescent depressive symptoms and (b) test whether changes in family conflict may be an explanatory mechanism for the long-term, protective effects of the FCU with respect to adolescent depression. This trial was conducted with 593 ethnically diverse families who were randomized to intervention (offered the FCU) or middle school as usual. Complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis revealed that engagers in the FCU evidenced less growth in depressive symptoms and family conflict from 6th through 9th grade, and post hoc analyses indicated that the FCU is related to lower rates of major depressive disorder. The second set of analyses examined family conflict as a mechanism of change for families who participated in the FCU. Families who reported short-term intervention benefits had significantly less escalation in family conflict over the middle school years; in turn, growth in family conflict explained risk for adolescent depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived criticism (PC) is a measure of how much criticism from 1 family member "gets through" to another. PC ratings have been found to predict the course of psychotic disorders, but questions remain regarding whether psychosocial treatment can effectively decrease PC, and whether reductions in PC predict symptom improvement. In a sample of individuals at high risk for psychosis, we examined a) whether Family Focused Therapy for Clinical High-Risk (FFT-CHR), an 18-session intervention that consists of psychoeducation and training in communication and problem solving, brought about greater reductions in perceived maternal criticism, compared to a 3-session family psychoeducational intervention; and b) whether reductions in PC from baseline to 6-month reassessment predicted decreases in subthreshold positive symptoms of psychosis at 12-month follow-up. This study was conducted within a randomized controlled trial across 8 sites. The perceived criticism scale was completed by 90 families prior to treatment and by 41 families at 6-month reassessment. Evaluators, blind to treatment condition, rated subthreshold symptoms of psychosis at baseline, 6- and 12-month assessments. Perceived maternal criticism decreased from pre- to posttreatment for both treatment groups, and this change in criticism predicted decreases in subthreshold positive symptoms at 12-month follow-up. This study offers evidence that participation in structured family treatment is associated with improvement in perceptions of the family environment. Further, a brief measure of perceived criticism may be useful in predicting the future course of attenuated symptoms of psychosis for CHR youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined gender and ethnicity as moderators of Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) effectiveness for adolescent drug abuse and illustrated the utility of integrative data analysis (IDA; Bauer & Hussong, 2009) for assessing moderation. By pooling participant data from 5 independent MDFT randomized clinical trials (RCTs), IDA increased power to test moderation. Participants were 646 adolescents receiving treatment for drug use, aged 11 to 17 years (M = 15.31, SD = 1.30), with 19% female (n = 126), 14% (n = 92) European American, 35% (n = 225) Hispanic, and 51% (n = 329) African American. Participants were randomized to MDFT or active comparison treatments, which varied by study. Drug use involvement (i.e., frequency and consequences) was measured at study entry, 6-, and 12-months by a 4-indicator latent variable. Growth curve change parameters from multiple calibration samples were regressed on treatment effects overall and by moderator subgroups. MDFT reduced drug use involvement (p < .05) for all participant groups. Pooled comparison groups reduced drug use involvement only for females and Hispanics (ps < .05). MDFT was more effective than comparisons for males, African Americans, and European Americans (ps <.05; Cohen's d = 1.17, 1.95, and 1.75, respectively). For females and Hispanics, there were no significant differences between MDFT and pooled comparison treatments, Cohen's d = 0.63 and 0.19, respectively. MDFT is an effective treatment for drug use among adolescents of both genders and varied ethnicity with males, African American, and European American non-Hispanic adolescents benefitting most from MDFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given the interdependent nature of relationships within the family system, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential role of child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) to extend its positive influence beyond the mother-child relationship within families challenged by maternal depression. Accordingly, we analyzed longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and marital satisfaction over 3 years in order to evaluate if the benefits of CPP to mother-child attachment security might generalize within the family and indirectly benefit marital relationships.Method: We tested our hypotheses in a randomized control trial of CPP (N = 159 families) to examine the intervention's efficacy in families with mothers with histories of depression since the target child's birth (Mage = 20.4 months, SD = 2.5; 56% boys).Results: Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) with an actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM) framework, the results supported our hypothesis as well as revealed significant associations between depressive symptoms and marital functioning. Specifically, shifts in mothers' depressive symptoms within specific waves of follow-up were associated with corresponding shifts in both their husbands' and their own relationship satisfaction in those same waves. After controlling for those effects, only mothers with a history of depression who received CPP demonstrated slight improvements in relationship satisfaction over the 3 years of the study, suggesting secondary benefits of CPP within the family system.Discussion: Results are discussed in terms of the importance of examining therapeutic processes within the larger family system. Concerning future research, we also suggest examining potential mechanisms through which CPP might influence marital satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this randomized trial was to investigate the efficacy of 2 behavioral treatments focusing on different change mechanisms in ameliorating a borderline personality disorder constellation of behaviors and substance use in adolescents referred by juvenile diversion programs. Methods: Forty adolescents 14-17 years of age and meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders were randomized to integrative borderline personality disorder-oriented adolescent family therapy (I-BAFT) or individual drug counseling. This design allowed a comparison of 2 manualized interventions, 1 family based and 1 individually oriented. Profiles of clinical change were used to detect impact and estimate treatment effect sizes. Results: Primary analyses showed that both interventions had a clinically significant impact on borderline personality disorder behaviors 12 months after baseline but with no differential treatment effects. The impact on substance use was more complex. Subgroup analyses revealed that adolescents with depression had significantly more severe profiles of borderline personality disorder and substance use. These youths were the only group to show reductions in substance use, but they only did so if they received the I-BAFT intervention. Study data also documented the high dosage of intensive residential treatment needed by this population. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Results highlight the intensive treatment needs of juvenile justice-involved youths with co-occurring substance use and borderline personality disorder including depression, the hybrid outpatient and residential treatment often required by this population, and the promise of a family-oriented approach, particularly for youths with severe symptoms and co-occurring depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) was conceptualized in recognition that the available therapy approaches were not effective in treating adolescents with behavioral problems and comorbid conditions. By combining unique assessment and process components with the acceptance and mindfulness elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior therapy as well as family systems theory, the MDT methodology was formulated. This study is the most recent in a series that establishes an evidence base of the effectiveness of MDT as a treatment protocol for adolescents with conduct issues. Eighty-four (84) male adolescents between 14- and 17-years-old were randomly assigned either a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy control group or a Mode Deactivation Therapy experimental group and received structured treatment for six to eight months. Pre- and post-treatment STAXI-2, CBCL, and other test results reconfirmed the effectiveness of MDT as a superior treatment for this population. Target behavioral outcome effects improved consistently by an average of 36%, while the control group only achieved improvements of around 5% in treatment. These results reconfirm and expand the existing evidence base of the superior effectiveness MDT for an adolescent population with multi-problem psychopathology, especially reactive aggression and internalized affective difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an unquestionable need for psychotherapy interventions to effectively treat adolescents with aberrant behaviors, complex comorbid problems, and a history of abuse-a population that is widely considered as difficult- to-treat, but warranting attention due to their cost to society. In response, Family Mode Deactivation Therapy (FMDT) was developed with its roots in cognitive and behavior theories. By recognizing the need to explore and validate core beliefs in the family unit that underlie individual and collective dysfunctional cognitions, a unique Validation-Clarification-Redirection (VCR) process was combined with selected elements from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness. In this study 122 adolescents and their families were randomly divided into two groups, a control group treated with classical Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, and the experimental group treated with FMDT methodology. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2) tests were scored pre- and post-treatment. The average CBCL and STAXI-2 scores indicated a consistently significant improvement with FMDT treatment, which outperformed that of the control group noticeably. Incidents of physical aggression were also tracked pre-, post-treatment, and at 16-month follow-up. Again, FMDT outperformed the Treatment as Usual (TAU) control group, especially at follow-up, which suggests a much better durability of treatment effects in the time period. The positive results with this population in their family group warrant further research of FMDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the efficacy of nonrecurring family constellation seminars on psychological health. We conducted a monocentric, single-blind, stratified, and balanced randomized controlled trial (RCT). After choosing their roles for participating in a family constellation seminar as either active participant (AP) or observing participant (OP), 208 adults (M = 48 years, SD = 10; 79% women) from the general population were randomly allocated to the intervention group (IG; 3-day family constellation seminar; 64 AP, 40 OP) or a wait-list control group (WLG; 64 AP, 40 OP). It was predicted that family constellation seminars would improve psychological functioning (Outcome Questionnaire OQ-45.2) at 2-week and 4-month follow-ups. In addition, we assessed the impact of family constellation seminars on psychological distress and motivational incongruence. The IG showed significantly improved psychological functioning (d = 0.45 at 2-week follow-up, p = .003; d = 0.46 at 4-month follow-up, p = .003). Results were confirmed for psychological distress and motivational incongruence. No adverse events were reported. This RCT provides evidence for the efficacy of family constellation in a nonclinical population. The implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In a long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial (Compas et al., 2009) to examine the effects at 18- and 24-month follow-ups of a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for mental health outcomes for children and parents from families (N = 111) of parents with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD). Method: Parents with a history of MDD and their 9- to 15-year-old children were randomly assigned to a FGCB intervention or a written information comparison condition. Children's internalizing, externalizing, anxiety/depression, and depressive symptoms; episodes of MDD and other psychiatric diagnoses; and parents' depressive symptoms and episodes of MDD were assessed at 18 and 24 months after randomization. Results: Children in the FGCB condition were significantly lower in self-reports of anxiety/depression and internalizing symptoms at 18 months and were significantly lower in self-reports of externalizing symptoms at 18 and 24 months. Rates of MDD were significantly lower for children in the FGCB intervention over the 24-month follow-up (odds ratio = 2.91). Marginal effects were found for parents' symptoms of depression at 18 and 24 months but not for episodes of MDD. Conclusions: Support was found for a FGCB preventive intervention for children of parents with a history of MDD significantly reducing children's episodes of MDD over a period of 2 years. Significant effects for the FGCB intervention were also found on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with stronger effects at 18- than at 24-month follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We used growth mixture modeling to examine heterogeneity in treatment response in a secondary analysis of 2 randomized controlled trials testing multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), an established evidence-based therapy for adolescent drug abuse and delinquency. Method: The first study compared 2 evidence-based adolescent substance abuse treatments: individually focused cognitive-behavioral therapy and MDFT in a sample of 224 urban, low-income, ethnic minority youths (average age = 15 years, 81% male, 72% African American). The second compared a cross-systems version of MDFT (MDFT-detention to community) with enhanced services as usual for 154 youths, also primarily urban and ethnic minority (average age = 15 years, 83% male, 61% African American, 22% Latino), who were incarcerated in detention facilities. Results: In both studies, the analyses supported the distinctiveness of 2 classes of substance use severity, characterized primarily by adolescents with higher and lower initial severity; the higher severity class also had greater psychiatric comorbidity. In each study, the 2 treatments showed similar effects in the classes with lower severity/frequency of substance use and fewer comorbid diagnoses. Further, in both studies, MDFT was mom effective for the classes with greater overall substance use severity and frequency and more comorbid diagnoses. Conclusions: Results indicate that for youths with more severe drug use and greater psychiatric comorbidity, MDFT produced superior treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge in the dissemination of evidence-based family interventions (EBFIs) designed to reduce youth substance use and other problem behaviors is effective and sustainable community-based recruitment. This understudied topic is addressed by a preliminary study of 14 community-university partnership teams randomly assigned to an intervention condition in which teams attempted sustained implementation of EBFIs with two cohorts of middle school families. This report describes attendance rates of recruited families maintained over time and across both cohorts, along with exploratory analyses of factors associated with those rates. When compared with community-based recruitment rates in the literature, particularly for multisession interventions, relatively high rates were observed; they averaged 17% across cohorts. Community team functioning (e.g., production of quality team promotional materials) and technical assistance (TA) variables (e.g., effective collaboration with TA, frequency of TA requests) were associated with higher recruitment rates, even after controlling for community and school district contextual influences. Results support the community-university partnership model for recruitment that was implemented in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to elucidate the factors contributing to the severity and persistence of delusional conviction. One hundred participants with current delusions, recruited for a treatment trial of psychological therapy (PRP trial), were assessed at baseline on measures of reasoning, emotions, and dimensions of delusional experience. Reasoning biases (belief inflexibility, jumping to conclusions, and extreme responding) were found to be present in one half of the sample. The hypothesis was confirmed that reasoning biases would be related to delusional conviction. There was evidence that belief inflexibility mediated the relationship between jumping to conclusions and delusional conviction. Emotional states were not associated with the reasoning processes investigated. Anxiety, but not depression, made an independent contribution to delusional conviction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family psychoeducational programs are efficacious adjuncts to pharmacotherapy for patients with schizophrenic and bipolar disorders, but little is known about what these programs change about families. The authors assessed changes in face-to-face interactional behavior over 1 year among families of bipolar patients who received a 9-month family-focused psychoeducational therapy (FFT; n = 22) or crisis management with naturalistic follow-up (CMNF; n = 22), both administered with maintenance pharmacotherapy. Members of families who received FFT showed more positive nonverbal interactional behavior during a 1-year posttreatment problem-solving assessment than families who received CMNF, although no corresponding decreases were seen in negative interactional behaviors. The positive effect of family treatment on patients' symptom trajectories over 1 year was partially mediated by increases in patients' positive nonverbal interactional behaviors during this same interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]