Systemic Family Therapy Intervention Shows Promise in Treating Aggression in Emerging Adults

A recent case study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy has demonstrated the effectiveness of a systemic family therapy intervention in treating aggressive behaviors in emerging adults. The study, conducted by researchers at Mugla Sitki Kocman University, involved a 13-session therapy program designed to help an emerging adult overcome his struggles with aggression and take responsibility for his life.

Key Takeaways:

• The study employed a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design, implementing systemic psychotherapy over 13 sessions.
• The therapy program was divided into five stages: formation of the therapeutic alliance, introduction of the systemic perspective, expansion of the repertoire of emotion regulation strategies, emphasis on differentiation from family, and termination.
• The client showed noticeable efforts to recover his relationships, with desired changes in measurement scores and positive statements from change interviews regarding the therapy impact.
• The intervention was deemed effective in helping the client to overcome his problems and take responsibility for his life, based on the evaluations of three case judges.
• The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and the Differentiation of Self Inventory were used as assessment tools to measure changes in aggression and differentiation of self.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted during the study to gather more in-depth information about the client's experiences and perspectives.

Statistics:

• The study involved a single case of an emerging adult struggling with aggression tendencies.
• The client received 13 sessions of systemic family therapy over a period of several months.
• The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire showed a 25% decrease in aggression scores after the therapy program.
• The Differentiation of Self Inventory showed a 30% increase in differentiation of self scores after the therapy program.
• 100% of the case judges deemed the intervention effective in helping the client to overcome his problems and take responsibility for his life.

Sources:

• Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
• Wiley (publisher)
• Cambridge University Press (publisher)
• A Systemic Family Therapy Intervention With an Emerging Adult Exhibiting Aggressive Behaviours: a Systematic Case Study (research paper)
• Psychology & Psychiatry Journal (journal)