“That which is created in a relationship can be fixed in a relationship.” ~ Murray Bowen
In the United States, an estimated 49.5% of teens suffer from a mental health issue at some point during their adolescent years. These figures from the National Institute of Mental Health display an alarming epidemic with grave consequences for our teen’s futures.
However, it is widely evidenced that swift intervention, relevant treatment, and parental involvement in the therapeutic process significantly lessen the detrimental impact on the individuals as they journey into adulthood.[1]
Our previous blog, Therapeutic Relationships: Parental Involvement in Adolescent Treatment, discussed the importance of parental involvement throughout a teenager’s treatment and recovery, as research indicates that the families who engage with the child and their treatment plan achieve the best success rates.[2] Research also shows that combined parent-adolescent and family therapy treatment plans demonstrate far better outcomes than plans in which teenagers only received individual therapy.[3] Adolescents whose families do the work see long-term success, improved participation, higher levels of attendance, and overall family satisfaction.[4]
This week’s blog continues within this realm and delves into Family Systems Therapy, which seeks to explore and understand both the internal and external family models of the individual in question. By nourishing and restoring the whole self as well as the entire family, it is possible to heal exponentially.
The Family System Theory
Family Systems Theory focuses on the relationships and interactions among members of the family, the family and other systems, and a person’s internal family system.
For instance, we can say that a system is a set of related elements and the family is a group of mutually dependent individuals. Together, this creates a family system, and divergence from the norm in one family member, e.g., when someone develops a mental health disorder, will influence the entire system.[5]
The Family Systems model was first developed in the early 1950s based on the work of Murray Bowen, a noted psychoanalyst. The theory of Family Systems is rooted in eight interconnecting concepts:[6]
- Triangles – A three-person relationship system that acts as a foundation for other emotional systems.
- Differentiation of the self – The ability to maintain individuality, i.e., being able to pursue goals without requiring external validation.
- Nuclear family emotional process – The pattern of familial response during emotional interactions, such as illness, marital conflict, mental health issues, significant change, etc.
- Family projection process– The transmission of difficulties and issues from parent to child.
- Multigenerational transmission process – Often, people will choose partners with similar levels of differentiation as themselves and so generationally there are progressively lower levels of differentiation.
- Emotional cut-off – Some family members may emotionally distance themselves during conflict. which adds stress and pressure to future relationships.
- Sibling position – Birth order can impact family dynamics, such as sibling relationships, discipline, and parental expectations.
- Societal emotional process – Societies, communities, culture, and conflicts also affect family systems.
Family Systems Therapy is a mode of psychotherapy that focuses and treats the entire family unit. A central principle of this approach is that a family is an emotional unit, so an individual’s behavior must be considered within the context of the whole family.
In short, we are all affected by our families; however, each individual also influences the whole family unit.
Through understanding and accepting these eight core principles, families can work together to establish healthy boundaries, foster positive communication, change negative patterns of interaction, and improve the overall well-being of the whole.
Greater Than The Sum of Our Parts
Family Systems Therapy is based on the premise that the family is greater than the sum of its parts. If one group member is affected, we will witness an echo of the impact on every other member.
This theory explains that treatment of an individual in isolation from their family system cannot be fully successful. It is only by incorporating the suprasystem, of which the individual and family is a part, that the individual can heal.
Through our understanding of the Family Systems Model, we emphasize that the family unit can hinder or help an individual’s growth. The unit can add to the dysfunction involved within a teenager’s mental health issues or provide balance and support.
For adolescent treatment, this places a great deal of emphasis on the actions and behavior of the parents. If the parents are unwilling to make a concerted effort–to apply time, energy, and resources, and to accept the change needed within themselves–then their child is unlikely to make a full and long-lasting recovery. [7]
Sense of Support
It is vital for a parent and the family as a whole to be aware that their child’s mental health issues are rooted firmly within the family’s sphere. The teenagers’ needs are collective as well as individual, and for therapeutic treatment to be successful there needs to be significant change made and support given from within the family structure.
Family System Therapy operates on the principle that individuals are intricately interlinked within their relationship networks, and the key to addressing an individual’s problems is to understand these networks and their patterns of communication and conflict.
The most common types of therapy that can incorporate the family systems approach include:
- Structural family therapy – SFT helps to identify and understand the structure of the family and how reorganization of this structure can improve communication and relationships.
- Strategic family therapy – Works by identifying the unique interventions needed to address specific familial problems.
- Intergenerational family therapy – This technique helps families understand how generational influences and recurring patterns of behavior are influencing the family and how they can learn new paths of interaction.
- Psychoeducation – By educating members of the family about the various aspects of mental health and treatment, a family can respond more empathetically and effectively when a family member is struggling with a mental health disorder.
Seeking Transformation
The role of the family is therefore paramount in ensuring that our adolescents receive the most effective treatment. If the parents or family as a whole fails to engage with the therapeutic process, the adolescent’s mental health disorders are likely to extend into adulthood and could have a greater detrimental impact on the entire family unit both directly and intergenerationally.
Family Systems Therapy encourages the family to find a deeper understanding of their inter-relational patterns and their impact on one another in order to move from acceptance towards transformation.
If you are concerned about any issues discussed in this blog, please contact Heather R. Hayes & Associates – call 800-335-0316 or email info@heatherhayes.com today.
Sources:
[1] Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Mental illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml b
[2] Radez, Jerica et al. “Why do Children and Adolescents (Not) Seek and Access Professional Help for their Mental Health Problems? A Systematic Review of Quantitative And Qualitative Studies”. European Child &Amp; Adolescent Psychiatry, vol 30, no. 2, 2020, pp. 183-211. Springer Science And Business Media LLC, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4. Accessed 22 Sept 2022.
[3] Dowell, Kathy A., and Benjamin M. Ogles. “The Effects of Parent Participation on Child Psychotherapy Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Review”. Journal of Clinical Child &Amp; Adolescent Psychology, vol 39, no. 2, 2010, pp. 151-162. Informa UK Limited, https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410903532585. Accessed 22 Sept 2022.
[4] Crowe, A., & Lyness, K. P. (2014). Family Functioning, Coping, and Distress in Families with Serious Mental Illness. The Family Journal, 22(2), 186–197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480713513552
[5] Wright, L.M. and M. Leahey, Nurses and families [Elektronisk resurs] a guide to family assessment and intervention. 2007, Enskede: TPB.
[6] “Learn About Bowen Theory — The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family”. The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, 2022, https://www.thebowencenter.org/core-concepts-diagrams.
[7] Mehta A, Cohen SR, Chan LS. Palliative care: a need for a family systems approach. Palliat Support Care. 2009;7(2):235–243
