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The need to expand knowledge of family-based intervention for people with ASD has been observed. However, there is a lack of study in Chinese context such as Hong Kong exploring the use of multifamily therapy (MFT) for adults with ASD. The primary aim of the present study is to assess the feasibility of a process-oriented MFT in promoting family relationships for young adults with high functioning-ASD (HF-ASD) and their parents. We also sought to explore the therapeutic process factors of MFT that were deemed helpful by the family participants in our study. Two types of MFT—one online, the other face-to-face—were conducted from March to August 2021 for families with adults with HF-ASD in Hong Kong. In total, 13 families participated in our multi-method study. Among the results, cross-family therapeutic alliance and treatment engagement were positively associated with enhanced family relationships among participants. Significant differences emerged in changes in the cross-family therapeutic alliance and family relationships between the online and face-to-face MFTs. Two themes regarding the helpful aspects of MFT emerged: first, having a cross-family interactional context and, second, the authentic engagement of people with HF-ASD. Overall, our results imply that MFT, in either online or face-to-face mode, could be a feasible family group psychotherapy for adults with HF-ASD and their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article reviews narrative therapy (NT) publications specific to Hong Kong over a period of 20 years. Methods: Three search strategies are adopted: using the Hong Kong Baptist University OneSearch database and Google Books index, and sending soliciting emails to local scholars and practitioners. Four research questions are asked: (a) how many related publications? (b) who are the targets? (c) who are the authors? (d) what is the type of publication ? Results: In total, there are 127 publications identified. The first NT publication is dated 1996. The most common target group is "People with Problem" (48.8%). Most authors are academics (78.7%). The publications are mostly Journal Articles (68.5%). Conclusions: Co-construction between academics and practitioners, co-researching as the landscape for co-constructing an NT community, and finally, the co-deconstruction process of local narratives are recommended as future tasks for Hong Kong related NT publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous literature pinpointed the limitations of behavioural treatment in helping families of people with intellectual disabilities to transit lifecycle adjustment and suggested the contributions of systemic intervention made to this population. Methods: This study aimed to explore the applicability of structural family therapy to helping Hong Kong Chinese families of adolescents with intellectual disabilities from the perspective of family members. Nine members from four families of adolescents with intellectual disabilities were recruited. Family or individual interviews were conducted. A thematic analysis was adopted for data analysis. Findings: The families experienced two major changes after the therapy, that is, sharing the care responsibilities among family members and using more open communication styles in the family. Structural family therapy was found to be helpful in mediating family problems and promoting the active involvement of adolescents with intellectual disabilities in family interactions. However, the family participants expected clear guidance for the future development of adolescents with intellectual disabilities in a family treatment process. Conclusions: Structural family therapy can be a promising approach to working with Chinese families of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Accessible summary: This study is the first attempt in Chinese contexts to explore the helpfulness of structural family therapy. The study looked at changes after the therapy from the perspective of Chinese families of adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Hong Kong.This study found that structural family therapy was helpful in promoting sharing the care responsibilities among family members. It was also useful in instilling open communication among members of Chinese families of adolescents with intellectual disabilities.The family participants expected guidance for the future development of adolescents with intellectual disabilities in a family treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Chinese context of Hong Kong, education is seen as important for building character and social achievement. In the dominant social discourse, students encountering school attendance problems are often considered either psychologically dysfunctional or socially deviant, and their parents are viewed as incompetent or irresponsible. With the concrete case example, this paper illustrates how narrative therapy provides a space for students' voices and critical perspectives. It also helps families resist and renegotiate the oppressive meritocratic ideology promoted in the education system and in society. Integration of the systemic and the narrative approaches in the practice is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This article reports results of a study that assessed the efficacy of multiple family therapy (MFT) for helping children of depressed parent(s), using a quasi‐randomized controlled trial design. In total, 76 children participated in the study, with 51 children were assigned to the experimental group (EG) and 25 to the comparison group (CG). The EG children and their parents completed the three‐month MFT program, while the CG children and their parents attended two psychoeducational talks scheduled at the same time as the MFT. A group × Time repeated measure ANCOVA did not discern the intervention types having any effect on children's lives in the post‐treatment phase or at the three‐month follow‐up. However, the MFT brought some promising positive changes in the EG children's perceived social support, both overall and that from the father and other family members at three‐month follow‐up; compared to the CG children, the EG children also attached more importance to the support from their mothers in the post‐treatment phase and that from other family members at the three‐month follow‐up. The results implied the potential efficacy of the MFT in facilitating an increase in the overall social support of children of depressed parents and their positive interactions with both the healthy and the depressed parent and other family members. Owing to multiple statistical limitations, caution is required while interpreting the results. A larger sample and a more sophisticated research design were suggested for future studies examining the efficacy and therapeutic mechanism of the MFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores family therapy trainees' subjective experiences of working as cotherapists with a supervisory‐level therapist in a Chinese context, regarding their perceptions of and positioning in it and also their opinions on the benefits and/or pitfalls of cotherapy. Individual interviews with a total of six cotherapists revealed three themes: (1) Cotherapy was perceived as an experiential learning journey that evolved from anxiety and excitement to empowerment and nurturing; (2) a collaborative master–apprentice relationship of openness, trust, and mutual respect was developed with both sides' interactive effort, which included common commitment and concern for the client, the supervisor's awareness and explicit address of the role hierarchy, principle setting prior to the cooperation, and honest pre‐ and‐postsession sharing and discussion; (3) the dual‐purpose supervisor–trainee cotherapy brought direct benefits for all involved parties and for others. The findings have useful implications for integrating treatment and training for optimal training/learning outcomes and for advancing knowledge transfer from senior to junior and from academia to the field, with reference to local cultural characteristics.comment="AUTHOR: Please suggest whether the terms ‘co‐therapy, co‐learning, and cotherapist’ could be changed to ‘cotherapy, colearning, and cotherapist’ throughout the article as per style sheet requirement."comment="Dear Editor,Yes, I think these terms could be changed as suggested according to the style sheet requirement, as the meaning remains the same. Thank you.Best regards,Lily" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the COVID‐19 crisis in Asia, a family therapist in Hong Kong shares her experiences and reflections, both personally and professionally from an Eastern lens. From a state of shock and immobilization to moments of contemplation, she highlights her struggle with being caught between her Eastern roots and Western training, which has become more salient in facing COVID‐19. While the latter pulls her toward a more problem resolution stance, the former pulls her toward a more accepting position. As a result, her therapy is shaped in such a way that she tends to raise more questions instead of providing answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Domestic violence is common in the community. Many of its victims present to primary care physicians (PCPs) but are not being recognized and managed. The barriers, with specific reference to a Chinese cultural context, were investigated earlier. This paper explored the factors which facilitated the process of recognizing and managing suspected cases of domestic violence by PCPs in Hong Kong. Methods: Four focus group interviews were conducted to explore in-depth the experiences of PCPs in recognition, management and referral of domestic violence cases from which facilitators were identified. The relevant themes were then investigated in a questionnaire survey with 504 PCPs working in public and private sectors. Results: The focus group participants emphasized mood symptoms as useful indicators for probable abuse and continuity of care was important to unmask issues of domestic violence. The top facilitators perceived by the respondents of the survey included: a trusting doctor-patient relationship (99.8%), good communication skills (99.0%), patients' unexplained bruises (96.3%), medical history (94.6%), and mood symptoms (94.4%). Further, the survey found that PCPs with longer years of practice, a medical degree obtained from Western countries, and postgraduate training in family counselling or psychological medicine perceived more facilitators in managing domestic violence. Conclusions: Without a local screening policy and training protocol to manage domestic violence, PCPs regarded their skills in mental healthcare and good relationships with patients as the key facilitators. While training in mental health care helps PCPs manage domestic violence, a specific protocol emphasizing medical-social collaboration is anticipated to facilitate them to take a more proactive and effective stance from screening to management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of an evaluation study, which assessed the changes in knowledge and skills of psychiatric nurses after they had attended a training course in family therapy in Hong Kong. Systemically based and strengths oriented, the 49-h training comprises three modules which include lectures, sensitivity training, clinical observation and clinical supervision. Seventeen out of 24 psychiatric nurses participated in a panel study after they had attended the course. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire during three phases: pre-training (time 1), completion of module I (time 2) and completion of module III (time 3). The results of an ANOVA have shown that the training had a significant positive effect on the psychiatric nurses’ knowledge, skills and attitudes from time 1 to time 2. The nurses’ mean scores in these three areas continued to increase respectively, though the changes in the two mean scores from the questionnaires at time 2 and time 3 were statistically insignificant. Implications for future training and promoting the family-centered approach in mental health services are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information is available on the effect of parent-child relationships on self-perception among Chinese children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Hong Kong. This study examined the impact of children’s age and symptom severity on the linkage of quality parent-child relationships to perceived competence/hope among children with ADHD. A clinical sample of 81 school-age children (ages 5–11, mean age = 8.38) who were diagnosed with ADHD were recruited in this study. Separate questionnaires were employed to collect data among children and their parents in the pre-treatment phase. Parent-child relationships were positively correlated with self-perception of children with ADHD, with physical competence to be father-child specific. Children’s age had moderated the correlation between mother-child relationship and children’s hope. Maternal role on children’s hope was significant for the mild symptom group; paternal role on children’s hope was significant for the severe symptom group. No moderation effect was found for symptom severity on the correlation between parent-child relationship and children’s self-perception. The study’s findings helped mental health professionals in a Chinese context to develop psychosocial interventions to foster quality parent-child relationships, which in turn will maintain children’s self-perception. Implications for social work practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Chinese children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD features. Methods: This study adopted a randomized controlled trial design without blinding. Participants were randomized into either the intervention group (n = 32) and offered PCIT by trained PCIT practitioners or the waitlist control group (n = 32) and offered PCIT after the intervention group had completed treatment. Parent participants were requested to complete questionnaires on their children’s behavior and their parental stress. PCIT practitioners observed parent–child interactions according to a coding system. Results: Analysis was by intention to treat. The results indicated a significant decrease in child behavior and attention problems, parental stress, and negative parenting practices and an increase in positive parenting practices in the intervention group at postintervention (p ≤ .002 in all cases). Conclusion: This study provided promising evidence on the effectiveness of PCIT in Chinese children with ADHD or ADHD features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban families worldwide are often characterized by busy working lives which leave little time for family gatherings and communication. The Happy Family Kitchen project, which emphasized cooking and dining with family members, was conducted in a deprived district in Hong Kong. We hypothesized that the community-based family intervention, derived from a positive psychology framework, can improve family communication, family well-being, and subjective happiness. Twenty-three social service units organized and delivered the intervention programs for 1,419 individuals from 612 families. The core intervention was developed with emphasis on 1 of 5 positive psychology themes: gratitude, flow, happiness, health, and savoring. Intervention outcomes were assessed at preintervention, immediate postintervention, and 6 weeks and 12 weeks postintervention. Results showed that family communication, family well-being, and subjective happiness improved with small effect sizes which were sustained up to 12 weeks. The gratitude intervention improved all of the outcome measures. Qualitative data provided additional evidence for effectiveness with in-depth insights into family dynamics. We concluded that this brief intervention was a low-cost and simple approach to improve family communication and well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Family intervention for psychotic disorders is an integral part of psychiatric treatment with positive effects on patients’ mental state and relapse rate. However, the effect of such family-based intervention on caregivers’ psychological distress and well-being, especially in non-Western countries, has received comparatively much less attention. Objectives To test the effects of guided problem-solving-based manual-guided self-learning programme for family caregivers of adults with recent-onset psychosis over a 6-month period of follow-up, when compared with those in usual family support service. Design A single-centre randomised controlled trial, which was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02391649 ), with a repeated-measures, two-arm (parallel-group) design. Settings One main psychiatric outpatient clinic in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Participants A random sample of 116 family caregiverss of adult outpatients with recent-onset psychosis. Methods Following pre-test measurement, caregivers were assigned randomly to one of two study groups: a 5-month self-help, problem-solving-based manual-guided self-learning (or bibliotherapy) programme (in addition to usual care), or usual family support service only. Varieties of patient and caregiver health outcomes were assessed and compared at baseline and at 1-week and 6-month post-intervention. Results One hundred and eleven (96%) caregivers completed the 6-month follow-up (two post-tests); 55 of them (95%) completed ≥4 modules and attended ≥2 review sessions (i.e., 75% of the intervention). The family participants’ mean age was about 38 years and over 64% of them were female and patient's parent or spouse. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that the manual-guided self-learning group reported significantly greater improvements than the usual care group in family burden [ F (1,110) = 6.21, p = 0.006] and caregiving experience [ F (1,110) = 6.88, p = 0.0004], and patients’ psychotic symptoms [ F (1,110) = 6.25, p = 0.0003], functioning [ F (1,110) = 7.01, p = 0.0005] and number of hospitalisations [ F (1,110) = 5.71, p = 0.005] over 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Problem-solving-based, manual-guided self-learning programme for family caregivers of adults with recent-onset psychosis can be an effective self-help programme and provide medium-term benefits to patients’ and caregivers’ mental health and duration of patients’ re-hospitalisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture plays a role in mental health, partly by defining the characteristics that are indicative of positive adjustment. In Chinese cultures, positive family relationships are considered central to well-being. The culturally emphasized characteristic of family harmony may be an important factor associated with psychopathology. This article presents the development and psychometric examination of the Family Harmony Scale (FHS), an indigenously developed 24-item instrument tapping family harmony in 17,461 Hong Kong residents from 7,791 households. A higher-order model with 1 second-order factor and 5 first-order factors fit the data well and showed factorial invariance across sex and participants in different family roles. A 5-item short form (FHS-5) was also developed, with 1 item from each first-order factor. The short scale showed, as expected, a single-factor structure with good fit. Both scales demonstrated high internal consistency, acceptable test-retest reliability, and good convergent and discriminant validity. The 24-item FHS was negatively associated with depressive symptoms after accounting for individual risk factors and general family function. Family harmony moderated the relationship between life stress and depressive symptoms such that those individuals who reported low family harmony had stronger associations between life stress and depressive symptoms. This study adds to the literature a systematically developed, multidimensional measure of family harmony, which may be an important psychological protective factor, in a large urban Chinese sample. The FHS-5 minimizes operational and respondent burdens, making it an attractive tool for large-scale epidemiological studies with Chinese populations in urban settings, where over half of China's 1.4 billion people reside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, the family-centered approach has been widely adopted in the west (e.g., the United States) as an approach to serving children living in an out-of-home care context. In comparison, in Hong Kong, out-of-home care services tend to be child-centered and child-protection oriented. This article (1) examines the child welfare service, specifically out-of-home care services, in Hong Kong and (2) makes the case for integrating family-centered out-of-home care services for children. Three vignettes are presented that demonstrate the use of Multiple Family Group Therapy (MFGT) to promote family-centered practice. The article concludes with a discussion of challenges and recommendations related to a shift to family-centered practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

Objective: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Hong Kong Chinese families, using randomized controlled trial design. Methods: The participants included 111 Hong Kong Chinese parents with children aged 2–7 years old, who were randomized into the intervention group (n = 54) and control group (n = 57). The participants were requested to complete a set of questionnaires on child behavior problems and parenting before and after intervention. They were also assessed by PCIT therapists using Dyadic Parent–Child Interaction Coding System: Abbreviated Version (3rd edition) before and after intervention. Results: The results indicated significant decrease in child behavior problems, parenting stress, negative emotions, negative parenting practices, and increase in positive parenting practices in the intervention group, compared with the control group. Conclusion: The results provided encouraging evidence that the PCIT was effective with Hong Kong Chinese families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Integrative Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST) is a systems-based, home-based, and strengths-oriented treatment model that has been developed and implemented within the community mental health system. Using a single case example, this paper discusses the application of I-FAST to a Chinese family in Hong Kong in which the mother was diagnosed with depression. The paper critically examines the deficit-based approach, widely used in the mental health field, which stigmatizes people with psychiatric disabilities. Treatment implications of families with parental mental illness in a Chinese context are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an insight into the development and growth of family therapy in Hong Kong. Family therapy was introduced in Hong Kong in the early 1980s and is now gaining ground. The authors give a historical account of the development of family therapy in Hong Kong, and report on its progress and achievement for the past three decades there. The field has gone through several stages of development. The 1980s were marked by an importation of Western family therapy models, during which overseas expertise was tapped to promote family therapy. The 1990s were characterized by a blossoming of different schools of family therapy on the local scene. Most schools established their own practice centers, and training packages were tailor-made for local use. The 2000s were an important era of family therapy development in Hong Kong. The field has nurtured a new generation of leaders (both academics and front-line practitioners and trainers) who play an essential role in advancing its development. The paper concludes by identifying problems in clinical practice, professional training, and research and knowledge development, and proposes ways of overcoming these difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapy views humans not as separate entities, but as embedded in a network of relationships, highlighting the reciprocal influences of one's behaviours on one another. This article gives an overview of family demographics and the implementation of family therapy in Hong Kong. We start with a review of the family demographics in Hong Kong and brief notes on families in mainland China. Demographics show that the landscape has changed markedly in the past decade, with more cross-border marriages, an increased divorce rate, and an ageing overall population - all of which could mean that there is increasing demand for professional family therapy interventions. However, only a limited number of professionals are practising the systems-based approach in Hong Kong. Some possible reasons as to why family therapy is not well disseminated and practised are discussed. These reasons include a lack of mental health policy to support family therapy, a lack of systematic family therapy training, and a shortage of skilled professionals. Furthermore, challenges in applying the western model in Chinese culture are also outlined. We conclude that more future research is warranted to investigate how family therapy can be adapted for Chinese families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with special needs have posed a great challenge to parenting. The multiple family groups developed in the 1960s in Western societies have become an increasingly acceptable intervention approach to help families with special needs, but its application in Hong Kong has been limited. The authors launched a one-year project in March 2008 to examine the applicability of this model in resolving parenting difficulties in a Chinese context and, through the use of in-depth posttreatment interviews, to assess if the participants viewed this approach as beneficial. Parents who were interviewed reported positive changes at intra- and interfamilial levels. The implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On two occasions separated by one year, Chinese adolescents (N = 2,758) responded to instruments measuring their perceived parent-adolescent trust (i.e., paternal trust of the child and the child's trust of the parent) and other dimensions of parent-child relational qualities (satisfaction with parental control, readiness to communicate with the parent, and global satisfaction with the parent-child relationship). Results showed that perceived parent-adolescent trust was concurrently and longitudinally related to other dimensions of parent-child relational qualities. Multiple regression analyses suggest that the relations between perceived parent-adolescent trust and different dimensions of parent-child relational qualities over time were bidirectional in nature. Relative to perceived paternal trust of the adolescent child, adolescent child's trust of their parents exerted a stronger influence on different dimensions of parent-adolescent relational qualities, particularly in the father-adolescent dyad. While the influence of the child's readiness to communicate with the parents on parent-adolescent trust was weak in the father-adolescent dyad, the influence of global satisfaction with the parent-adolescent relationship on parent-adolescent trust was weak in the mother-adolescent dyad. The implications of the present findings on parent education and family therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe the case of a girl suffering from anorexia nervosa who was regarded as a great challenge by her family therapist in Hong Kong. The metaphor of unwrapping a box was adopted to describe the therapeutic strategy of helping the girl express her inner feelings, and of helping the parents listen to their daughter describe her pain and suffering in the presence of the therapist. Health care professionals have to lead the dance, creating a space where their clients can share their secrets with their family and their therapist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a qualitative study of the subjective experiences of 24 Chinese adolescents and young women who have been suffering from anorexia nervosa and who have received family treatment from a university-based family treatment centre in Hong Kong. In-depth post-treatment interviews were conducted and have been transcribed and thematised using content analysis. The narratives that have emerged have facilitated hearing the clients' and their family members' voices, especially in the areas of (a) perceived concepts of family therapy, (b) the perceived therapeutic relationship and its linkage to positive change, (c) perceived intervention strategies as employed in family treatment and (d) the participants' own role in problem-solving. The study has enabled the author to refine the family treatment model, which has been adapted from the Micucci's (1998) model, with additional components introduced by the author to enhance family treatment in a Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known in the process and outcome of family treatment for families with a member suffering from anorexia nervosa in Chinese contexts. To show the rich narratives of the family's experiences of the course of family treatment with twelve sessions when struggling through anorexia nervosa, the authors present a case from Hong Kong for describing and analyzing the processes of change in both anorectic symptoms and family relationships of the afflicted family. Lily (a pseudonym), 21 years old, weighed 33 kg at a height of 160 cm (BMI = 12.9) when she first sought help from us in 2000. After receiving family treatment, she weighed 43 kg (BMI = 16.8) in July of 2001. The ultimate goal of treatment for this family was to resolve the patient's symptoms and improve the family's relationships. Several considerations were important: (a) to understand the process and outcome of family treatment; (b) socio-cultural influences; (c) handle sibling rivalry; (d) significance of the father's voice; and (e) avoiding blame. Finally, understanding applications of family therapy in various cultures and giving every family member a voice was encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the favorable outcomes of family therapy in adolescent drug treatment overseas, there has been an urgent call recently to use family-based approaches in view of the sharp rise of adolescent drug abuse in Hong Kong. This article discusses the application of structural family therapy (SFT) to an adolescent with a drug problem in Hong Kong. Implementation of SFF is fully delineated, including some of the difficulties and challenges in mobilizing the family to help the adolescent in a Chinese context. The need to involve the adolescent's parents was apparent. The treatment was assessed and evaluated by several psychometric measures from various vantage points of the adolescent, family members, and independent judges. The outcome was followed up formally at the third month after treatment and informally over a 2-year period. The follow-ups revealed that the adolescent abstained from using drugs in relation to his improved family and personal functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese secondary school students ( N = 2758) responded to measures of perceived family life quality (parenting quality and parent–child relational quality) and emotional quality of life (hopelessness, mastery, life satisfaction and self-esteem). Parenting quality included different aspects of parental behavioral control (parental knowledge, expectation, monitoring, discipline and demandingness as well as parental control defined in terms of indigenous Chinese concepts), parental psychological control, and parental responsiveness whereas parent–child relational quality included satisfaction with parental control, child’s readiness to communicate with the parents, parental trust of the child, and child’s trust of the parent. Results showed that parenting quality and parent–child relational quality in poor families were generally poorer than those of non-poor families and the differences were more pronounced in paternal parenting quality and father–child relational quality than in maternal parenting quality and mother–child relational quality. Emotional quality of life of adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage was also found to be poorer than that of adolescents not experiencing economic disadvantage. The present findings replicate the previous research findings in the literature and generate a pioneering dataset based on Chinese adolescents at Secondary 2 level in Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hong Kong no one has ever explored a female anorectic's experience of family therapy by inviting her to review her family sessions. By using a retrospective approach, this single case study adopted an interpretative paradigm with an open-ended question regarding how the patient experienced the family sessions. The distinct feature of this data collection was that the patient served as a research instrument and was invited to review six family sessions in order to review her past session experiences. Five themes emerged from the patient's storied review of the sessions: (1) how she viewed her own personal characteristics; (2) her changed perceptions of her family relationships; (3) her perceptions of her family quarrels' dynamics; (4) her resistance to recovery; and (5) her significant events in family therapy. With this unique client—driven approach for qualitative inquiry—her hands were writing for her heart; her words expressed her experience. Thus, the client was allowed to give her own voice to her subjective experience and, thereby, to enhance the future of family therapy practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of family therapy treatment in adolescent drug abuse is widely attested. Though the family is recognized as the most fundamental unit in a modern Chinese society like Hong Kong, the role of the family has not been adequately explored and systematically integrated into adolescent drug treatment. This paper explores the role of family therapy in adolescent drug treatment in Hong Kong based on the reports of a group of adolescent drug abusers and their social workers. Preliminary results show that family therapy is useful for changing family communication and interactional patterns in adolescent drug rehabilitation. Some recommendations are made in view of cultural considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses cultural sensitivity in applying the Satir model in the Hong Kong Chinese cultural setting, focusing on congruent communication. The authors contend that Satir was sensitive to the demands of culture. Her focus on individuality, equality, and freedom responds aptly to the egalitarian individualist ethos of the United States. In Hong Kong the family is generally dominated by hierarchical collectivist values. Applying the Satir model as it is being practiced in the United States totally ignores prevailing cultural conditions. Following the spirit of Satir, the authors propose the adoption of an emic approach, drawing inspiration and resource from traditional Chinese culture and maintaining continuity with hierarchical collectivism while protecting individual quests for equality, freedom, and independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A problematic issue in studying anorexia nervosa (AN) has been the absence of a qualitative study that probes the deep meanings of food refusal. We attempt to close this gap by studying the family meanings of food refusal by a single case study of a family in Hong Kong with an AN daughter. Eight videotapes of family therapy sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, were intensively reviewed, transcribed verbatim, and content analyzed. Two family themes of food refusal were discerned: the AN daughter disciplined her body and punished her family. The conclusions imply a need to revisit the Chinese gender role expectation in understanding AN patients and their families. [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.