Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:06:31.989Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Psychiatrists and family therapy: impressions at the interface of ideology and practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Declan Finnian Sheerin
Declan Finnian Sheerin*
Affiliation:
Young People's Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The reception of family therapy into a psychiatric profession that during the 50s was inclined to sanctify the individual psyche rather than the system inevitably polarized the profession. Psychiatrists contribute a significant referral imput to family therapy services in public health settings and therefore their knowledge of and disposition towards family therapy are influential elements of the context within which family therapy is practised, (i) This paper, through the use of a questionnaire, addresses qualitatively the prevailing attitudes and conceptualizations of psychiatrists working in the Eastern Health Board, Ireland, regarding family therapy, (ii) It looks at these opinions in the context of recent research findings on the efficacy of family therapy and highlights a famine of concise information regarding specific family treatment modalities, (iii) Finally it looks at the difficult relationship that exists between the old and the new epistemologies, which may be termed the ‘conservative and the impetuous’, and the implications for legitimate research into family therapy in the context of a consumerist-driven health service and at the interface of conflicting ideologies.

Keywords

Family therapyAttitudes of health personnelEfficacyEpistemology; Research methodologies
Type
Clinical & Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , September 1991 , pp. 138 - 143
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Hajal, F. The reception of family therapy: a view from the psychiatric journals. Int J Social Psychiatry 1988; 34: 194–195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Klein, H. Review of Lidz, T, et al, Schizophrenia and the family. Am J Psychiatry 1967; 124: 268–9.Google Scholar
3.Lask, B. Family therapy research: a challenge and a proposal. Psychiatric Bulletin 1988; 12; 489–490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Russell, B. Why I am not a Christian. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989; 133–153.Google Scholar
5.Dungworth, D. Context and the construction of family therapy practice. In: Street, E, Dryden, W, editors. Family therapy in Britain. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1988.Google Scholar
6.Selvini-Palazzoli, M, Boscolo, L, Cecchin, G, Prata, G. The problem of the referring person. J Marital and Family Therapy 1980; 6: 3–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Minuchin, S. Families and family therapy. London: Tavistock Publications, 1974.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Gurman, AS, Kniskern, DP, Pinsof, WM. Research on the process and outcome of marital and family therapy In: Garfield, SL, Bergin, EA, editors. Handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change. 3rd ed. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1986: 565–624.Google Scholar
9.Minuchin, S, Rosman, BL, Baker, L. Psychosomatic families. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Selvini-Palazzoli, M. Boscolo, L, Cecchin, G, Prata, G. Paradox and counterparadox: a new model in the therapy of the family in schizophrenic transaction. New York: Jason Aronson, 1978.Google Scholar
11.Moon, SM, Dillon, DR, Sprenkle, DH. Family therapy and qualitative research. J Marital and Family Therapy 1990; 16: 357–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Gurman, AS, Kniskern, DP. Family therapy outcome research: knowns and unknowns. In: Garfield, SL, Bergin, EA, editors. Handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change. 3rd ed. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1986: 742–775.Google Scholar
13.Skynner, R. Explorations with families: group analysis and family therapy. London: Routledge, 1990.Google Scholar
14.Pinsof, WM. Family therapy process research. In: Garfield, SL, Bergin, EA, editors. Handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change. 3rd ed. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1986: 699–741.Google Scholar
15.Lieberman, S, Mirkin, T, Cobb, J. Consultant attitudes to psychotherapy supervision. Irish J Psychotherapy 1983; 2: 6–9.Google Scholar
16.O'Shea, B, Cahill, M. McGennis, A. Trainee psychiatrists: attitudes to psychotherapy and its training. Irish J Psychotherapy 1983; 2: 10–13.Google Scholar
17.Boszormenyi-Nagy, I. Ulrich, DN. Contextual family therapy. In: Gurman, AS, Kniskern, DP, editors. Handbook of family therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1981; 159–186.Google Scholar
18.Simon, FB, Stierlin, H, Wynne, LC. The language of family therapy: a systemic vocabulary and sourcebook. New York: Family Process Press, 1985.Google Scholar
19.Minuchin, S, Montalvo, B, Guerney, BG, Rosman, BL, Schumer, F. Families of the slums. New York: Basic Books, 1967.Google Scholar
20.Breunlin, C, Breunlin, DC. The family therapy approach to adolescent disturbances: a review of the literature. J of Adolescence 1979; 2: 153–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Gurman, AS, Kniskern, DP. Research on marital and family therapy: progress, perspective and prospect. In: Garfield, S, Bergin, A. editors. Handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1978.Google Scholar
22.Breunlin, DC, Breunlin, C, Kearns, DL, Russell, WD. A review of the literature on family therapy with adolescents 1979-1987. J of Adolescence 1988; 11: 309–334.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Markus, E, Lange, A, Pettigrew, TF. Effectiveness of family therapy: a meta-analysis. J of Family Therapy 1990; 12: 205–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Eisler, I. Meta-analysis: magic wand or exploratory tool? Comment on Markus et al. J of Family Therapy 1990; 12: 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Leff, J, Berkovitz, R, Shavit, N, Strachan, A, Glass, I, Vaughn, C. A trial of family therapy versus a relatives' group for schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry 1990; 157: 571–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Dare, C, Eisler, I, Russell, GFM, Szmukler, GI. The clinical and theoretical impact of a controlled trial of family therapy in anorexia nervosa. J Marital and Family Therapy 1990; 16: 39–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Harland, R. Superstructuralism; the philosophy of structuralism and post-structuralism. London: Routledge, 1987.Google Scholar
28.Carpenter, J. Editorial: does family therapy work? J Family Therapy 1990; 12: 201–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29.Goldberg, D, David, AS. Family therapy and the glamour of science. J Family Therapy 1991; 13: 17–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Lask, B. Cybernetico-epistobabble, the emperor's new clothes, and other sacred cows. J of Family Therapy 1987; 9: 207–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Elkaim, M. From general laws to singularities. Family Process 1985; 24: 151–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32.Keeney, BP. Aesthetics of change. New York: Guilford Press, 1983.Google Scholar