Bolstering family therapy: Assimilating EMDR into ABFT in youth residential treatment.

The psychotherapy field has a long history of integration to improve treatment effectiveness. One type, assimilative integration, offers innovative opportunities to family therapy to incorporate the clinical and research contributions of different approaches. This paper contributes to the literature on integration by exploring how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be assimilated into Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) for youth in residential psychiatric treatment. ABFT seeks to improve attachment security to parental figures by asking adolescents and young adults to discuss attachment ruptures. This process, specially designed for patients with internalizing disorders, can provoke anxiety, particularly for a patient population that commonly has a history of trauma and adverse life experiences. EMDR is a first-line therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and has the potential to be effective in treating various other mental health conditions. When patient emotional withdrawal or dysregulation due to breaches in trust between child and parent emerges in ABFT, EMDR may help desensitize associated memories and bolster the family therapy process. The authors provide an overview of both models, and a detailed case study as an example. The paper concludes with a discussion on implications, integration efforts, and limitations.

Emotional arousal and reflective functioning among parents participating in attachment-based family therapy for LGBTQ+ young adults and their nonaccepting parents.

OBJECTIVE: Parents' rejection of their LGBTQ + young adults can have a negative impact on their young adult's psychological welfare, and on the young adult-parent relationship. Parents' ability to reflect on their child's pain and unmet needs is thought to evoke empathy and compassion, and reduce rejection. Empirical and clinical evidence suggest that parents' level of reflective functioning (RF) is impacted by their level of emotional arousal (EA). This study examined the association between parents' EA and RF within the context of attachment-based family therapy for nonaccepting parents and their LGBTQ+ young adults. METHODS: 43 therapy sessions drawn from six different cases were coded for parental RF and EA, based on 30-second segments. This generated a total of 343 observations for analyses. RESULTS: Hierarchal linear modeling revealed that parents' level of RF was a function of their concomitant EA, with moderate levels of arousal predicting the highest RF levels. CONCLUSION: Moderate EA may facilitate optimal parental reflective functioning. With nonaccepting parents, who typically present for treatment with high levels of maladaptive fear and shame, therapists would do well to assess their level of arousal and, when indicated, employ downregulating interventions before inviting them to reflect on their young adult's experience and needs.

Attachment-Based Family Therapy to Improve Family Functioning in Adolescent Binge-Spectrum Eating Disorders: An Initial Evaluation Via Case Series Design.

Binge-spectrum eating disorders (EDs; bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder) often develop during adolescence and are associated with serious psychological and physical consequences. Current treatments for adolescents are highly behavioral in nature and while efficacious, many patients do not reach remission indicating that current treatments fail to target a key maintenance factor for EDs. One potential maintenance factor is poor family functioning (FF). In particular, high family conflict (e.g., arguing, critical comments) and low family cohesion (e.g., warmth, support) are known to maintain ED behaviors. Poor FF can (1) cause or exacerbate an adolescent's use of ED behaviors to cope with life stress and/or (2) inhibit parents from being a resource to adolescents during ED treatment. Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is specifically designed to improve FF, and thus may be a promising adjunct to behavioral ED intervention strategies. ABFT, however, has not been tested in adolescents with binge-spectrum EDs. Thus, the current study is the first to evaluate a 16-week adapted ABFT treatment for adolescents with EDs (N = 8, Mage = 16.00, 71.43% female, 71.43% White) fusing together behavioral treatment for EDs with ABFT for highest possible impact. Eight families were treated in an open pilot trial to examine treatment feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy on FF and eating pathology. Overall, findings were promising. ABFT + B treatment was feasible and acceptable and showed preliminary evidence that it could improve FF and ED behaviors. Future research will test this intervention in a larger sample and further examine the role of FF in maintaining ED symptoms.

Attachment-based family therapy versus nondirective supportive therapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning adolescents with depression, and suicidal ideation: An exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) adolescents are particularly at risk for suicidal ideation; however, little clinical research is focused on treating this population. Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) is among the few empirically supported youth suicide treatments adapted for LGBQ adolescents. The purpose of this exploratory study is to determine the differential treatment effects and rates of change for LGBQ and heterosexual adolescents with depression and suicidal ideation receiving either ABFT or family enhanced nondirective supportive therapy (FE-NST). METHOD: The sample included 129 adolescents (31% LGBQ), ages 12-18 randomized to the two treatment groups. Multilevel modeling was used to examine individual changes in depression and suicidal ideation over the 16-week treatment. RESULTS: Results revealed that LGBQ adolescents in the ABFT condition showed a greater rate of reduction in depressive symptoms over treatment, slope = -0.94, p < 0.001, than did LGBQ adolescents in the NST condition, slope = -0.41, p = 0.12. Heterosexual adolescents showed symptom reduction in both treatment conditions (ABFT slope = -0.47, p < 0.001; NST slope = -0.79, t (113) = -7.48, p < 0.001). Changes in suicidal ideation were found across time, but not across conditions. CONCLUSION: LGBQ adolescents in the ABFT condition had a sharper decrease in depressive symptoms and better outcomes at week 16.

Middle childhood attachment-based family therapy: Theory and model description.

In middle childhood, the first manifestations of mental health problems can emerge and become a precursor of mental health issues in adolescence. Given that weak parent-child attachment can contribute to this distress, it is possible that strengthening the attachment bond could reduce risk trajectory. Unfortunately, evidence-based attachment-focused interventions are lacking at this age. Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) is a well-studied intervention for troubled adolescents and has the potential to be extended downward to children. However, ABFT for adolescents focuses on mentalization and trauma conversation strategies that may be developmentally advanced for children's capacities. Therefore, we modified the intervention strategies to be more developmentally sensitive to childhood. Middle childhood ABFT (MCABFT) builds on the theory that insecure attachment develops through a learning process that can be interrupted and reorganized to promote secure attachment development. MCABFT uses less conversation and more play and puts parents more at the center of the therapy compared with ABFT for adolescents. In this article, we describe MCABFT's theoretical and clinical model.

A Learning Theory Approach to Attachment Theory: Exploring Clinical Applications.

Although clinicians typically acknowledge the importance of insecure attachment as one factor that can contribute to children's psychopathology, translating attachment theory into clinical practice has proved a challenge. By specifying some of the mechanisms through which the child's attachment develops and changes, learning theory can enhance attachment based approaches to therapy. Specifically, interventions building on operant (parent management training) and classical (exposure therapy) learning can be used to stimulate new learning that increases the child's security and confidence in the parent's availability and responsiveness. To explore the clinical application and utility of a Learning Theory of Attachment (LTA), we focus on two attachment-focused interventions: Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) and Middle Childhood Attachment-based Family Therapy (MCAT). VIPP-SD is an evidence-based parent management training designed to promote sensitive parenting and secure attachment in early childhood. MCAT is a recently developed intervention that uses exposure to stimulate secure attachment in middle childhood. LTA sheds light on the mechanisms set in train by VIPP-SD and MCAT facilitating the induction of professionals in clinical applications.

Demonstrating Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth with Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: A Case Study.

Suicide is a growing public health issue among adolescents. While the majority of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are healthy, many experience suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB). Due to discrimination and stigma, TGD youth attempt suicide at higher rates then heterosexual, cisgender and even cisgender, LGBQ youth. Despite this vulnerability to suicide, few treatments have been developed and tested for this population. One treatment, attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) has been adapted to work with LGBQ youth and may be promising for TGD adolescents at risk for suicide. This article provides an overview of our ABFT modifications for TGD youth with thoughts of suicide. Specifically, we illustrate how treatment outcomes, in a single case study, relate to processes within clinical treatment tasks. The case study demonstrates the application of these ABFT modifications with a self-identified, gender nonconforming adolescent (who had recently attempted suicide) and his caregivers. Treatment evaluation measures were collected over the course of 24 weeks to illustrate the youth's clinical progress. The youth's suicidal symptoms diminished markedly by the end of treatment. Further, the family reported an increased ability for problem solving and more open communication by treatment conclusion.

El suicidio es un problema de salud pública cada vez mayor entre los adolescentes. Si bien la mayoría de los jóvenes transgénero y de géneros diversos (TGD) son saludables, muchos tienen pensamientos y conductas suicidas. Debido a la discriminación y al estigma, los índices de intento de suicidio en los jóvenes TGD son más altos que en los jóvenes heterosexuales, cisgénero e incluso LGBQ cisgénero. A pesar de esta vulnerabilidad al suicidio, se han desarrollado y se han evaluado pocos tratamientos para esta población. Un tratamiento, la terapia familiar basada en el apego (TFBA), se ha adaptado para trabajar con jóvenes LGBQ y puede ser prometedor para adolescentes TGD en riesgo de suicidio. Este artículo ofrece un resumen de nuestras modificaciones a la TFBA para los jóvenes TGD con pensamientos de suicidio. Específicamente, ilustramos cómo los resultados del tratamiento, en un solo caso práctico, se relacionan con los procesos dentro de las tareas del tratamiento clínico. El caso práctico demuestra la aplicación de estas modificaciones de la TFBA con un adolescente que se identificó como de género no conforme (y que recientemente había intentado suicidarse) y sus cuidadores. Se recopilaron las valoraciones de una evaluación del tratamiento durante el transcurso de 24 semanas para ilustrar el avance clínico del joven. Los síntomas de suicidio del joven disminuyeron notablemente al final del tratamiento. Además, la familia informó una mayor capacidad para resolver problemas y una comunicación más abierta al concluir el tratamiento.

Effectiveness of attachment-based family therapy compared to treatment as usual for depressed adolescents in community mental health clinics.

BACKGROUND: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a disabling mood disorder, profoundly affecting a large number of adolescent's quality of life. To date, no obvious treatment of choice for MDD in adolescents is available and progress in the treatment of depressed adolescents will have important public health implications. Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), as the only empirically supported family therapy model designed to treat adolescent depression, aims to repair interpersonal ruptures and rebuild an emotionally protective parent-child relationship. OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of ABFT compared with treatment as usual (TAU) delivered within child- and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adolescents with MDD. METHOD: Sixty adolescents (86.7% girls), aged 13-18 years (M = 14.9, SD = 1.35), with MDD referred to two CAMHS were randomized to 16 weeks of ABFT or TAU. ABFT consisted of weekly therapy sessions (family/individual or both) according to the treatment manual. TAU was not monitored. Primary outcomes were assessed by blinded evaluators at baseline and post-treatment with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Self-reported (Beck Depression Inventory-II, BDI-II) depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, and after 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 14, and 16 weeks. Analyses were performed according to intent-to-treat principles. RESULTS: At post-treatment, clinician-rated remission rates on the HAMD (5% in ABFT and 3.33% in TAU, p = 1, OR = 1.54, Fisher's exact test) and self-reported symptoms of depression on the BDI-II did not differ significantly between groups (X2[2, N = 60] = 0.06, p = 0.97). In both treatment groups participants reported significantly reduced depressive symptoms, but the majority (63.3%) of adolescents were still in the clinical range after 16 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: ABFT was not superior to TAU. Remission and response rates were low in both groups, suggesting none of the treatments were effective in treating MDD in adolescents. Findings must be viewed in the context of the study's small sample size, missing data, and implementation challenges. Continued efforts to improve treatment for MDD in outpatient clinics are warranted. Future research should examine moderators of and mechanisms for individual differences to treatment response, as well as the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of implementing treatment models which may require extensive training and expertise to yield clinically meaningful improvements in non-research settings. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01830088 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01830088?term=Villab%C3%B8&draw=2&rank=1 Date of registration: April 12, 2013.

Moderation of treatment effects by parent-adolescent conflict in a randomised controlled trial of Attachment-Based Family Therapy for adolescent depression.

BACKGROUND: Conflict with parents is frequent in adolescent depression, and has been shown to predict poor treatment outcomes. Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a manualised treatment for adolescent depression that may be robust to parent-adolescent conflict. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothesis that parent-adolescent conflict moderates the outcome of Attachment-Based Family Therapy compared with treatment as usual. METHODS: Data were obtained from a randomised trial comparing 16 weeks of ABFT to treatment as usual, in Norwegian Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Sixty adolescents with moderate to severe depression and their parents were recruited. Change in Grid-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores from baseline to week 16 was modelled using linear mixed models, and a three-way interaction of time, treatment allocation and a continuous measure of parent-adolescent conflict was fitted to estimate a moderator effect. The moderator model was compared to simpler models using leave-one-out cross-validation. RESULTS: Better outcomes were predicted for Attachment-Based Family Therapy at high levels of mother-adolescent conflict, and for treatment as usual at low levels of mother-adolescent conflict, giving preliminary support to the moderator hypothesis. Findings for father-adolescent conflict were mixed. Cross-validation did not clearly support the moderator model over a simple effect of time, indicating that the replicability of these findings is uncertain. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that parent-adolescent conflict should be further studied as a moderator of outcome in Attachment-Based Family Therapy. The trial did not meet its recruitment target and had high attrition, limiting the conclusions that may be drawn.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Attachment-based Family Therapy into a Child Welfare Setting: A Qualitative Process Evaluation.

Child welfare systems (CWSs) worldwide show increased interest in adopting empirically informed clinical strategies to increase treatment effectiveness. Many empirically supported treatments (ESTs) exist, but little is known about EST implementation barriers and facilitators in CWS. This study explored CWS providers' experiences of implementing attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) in home-based services of the Flemish CWS (in Belgium). Sixteen CWS providers (twelve counselors and four supervisors) involved in three home-based services were interviewed. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to guide collection, coding, and analysis of interview data. Findings revealed that implementation success was related to ABFT's fit with the CWS's mission, philosophy, and existing practices. CWS providers' belief in the compatibility between ABFT and CWS increased investment in implementation efforts and persistence to overcome challenges and setbacks. Some barriers pertained to the learning of ABFT and some barriers pertained to systems level challenges such as lack of leadership and support, poor coordination with referral sources and other youth care partners, and lack of policy support. For successful expansion of ESTs into CWS settings, various barriers at multiple systemic levels need to be addressed.

Los sistemas de asistencia de menores de todo el mundo demuestran cada vez más interés en adoptar estrategias clínicas empíricamente informadas para aumentar la eficacia de los tratamientos. Existen muchos tratamientos respaldados empíricamente, pero se sabe poco acerca de los elementos obstaculizadores y facilitadores para la implementación de dichos tratamientos en los sistemas de asistencia de menores. Este estudio analizó las experiencias de los prestadores de sistemas de asistencia de menores a la hora de implementar la terapia familiar basada en el apego en los servicios domiciliarios del sistema flamenco de asistencia de menores (en Bélgica). Se entrevistó a dieciséis prestadores de sistemas de asistencia de menores (doce terapeutas y cuatro supervisores) implicados en tres servicios domiciliarios. Se utilizó el "Marco Consolidado para la Investigación de Implementación" (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research,CFIR) para guiar la recopilación, la codificación y el análisis de los datos de las entrevistas. Los resultados revelaron que el éxito de la implementación estuvo relacionado con la adecuación de la terapia familiar basada en el apego con la misión, la filosofía y las prácticas existentes de los sistemas de asistencia de menores. La confianza de los prestadores de sistemas de asistencia de menores en la compatibilidad entre la terapia familiar basada en el apego y los sistemas de asistencia de menores aumentó la inversión en los esfuerzos de implementación y en la perseverancia para superar dificultades y contratiempos. Algunos obstáculos estuvieron relacionados con el aprendizaje de la terapia familiar basada en el apego y algunos otros con dificultades a nivel de los sistemas, como la falta de liderazgo y apoyo, la mala coordinación con fuentes de derivaciones y con otros acompañantes en el cuidado de los jóvenes, y con la falta de apoyo a las políticas. Para diseminar satisfactoriamente los tratamientos respaldados empíricamente en el marco de los sistemas de asistencia de mejores es necesario abordar diferentes obstáculos en múltiples niveles sistémicos.

Therapist Interventions Associated with Productive Emotional Processing in the Context of Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Depressed and Suicidal Adolescents.

Productive emotional processing is considered a key change mechanism in attachment-based family therapy (ABFT). This study examined the impact of attachment-based family therapy therapist interventions aimed to promote productive emotional processing of primary adaptive emotions in a sample of 30 depressed and suicidal adolescents who had participated in a larger randomized clinical trial. Results of sequential analyses revealed that relational reframes and therapists' focus on primary adaptive emotions were associated with the subsequent initiation of adolescents' productive emotional processing of primary adaptive emotions. In contrast, interpretations, reassurances, and therapists' focus on adolescents' rejecting anger toward their parents were all followed by the discontinuation of adolescents' emotional processing that had already begun. Finally, therapists' general encouragement of affect and focus on adolescents' unmet attachment/identity needs were associated with both the initiation of adolescents' productive emotional processing, and with the discontinuation of such processing once it had already begun. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

El procesamiento emocional productivo (Greenberg, Auszra y Hermann, 2007) se considera un mecanismo de cambio clave en la terapia familiar centrada en apego (ABFT en inglés; Diamond, Diamond, & Levy, 2014). Este estudio examinó el impacto de intervenciones terapéuticas ABFT dirigidas a promover el procesamiento emocional productiva de emociones adaptativas primarias en una muestra de 30 estudiantes deprimidos y suicidas que participaron en un ensayo clínico aleatorio de mayor escala. Los resultados de los análisis secuenciales revelaron que los reencuadres relacionales y el enfoque de los terapistas en las emociones adaptativas primarias se asociaron al inicio subsiguiente del procesamiento emocional productivo de emociones adaptativas primarias por parte de los adolescentes. En cambio, las interpretaciones, afirmaciones y el enfoque de los terapistas en el enojo rechazador de los adolescentes hacia sus padres fueron seguidas por la suspensión del procesamiento emocional que había ya comenzado. Por último, la motivación general por parte de los terapistas del afecto y enfoque en las necesidades insatisfechas de apego/identidad de los adolescentes se asociaron tanto al inicio del procesamiento emocional productivo de los adolescentes como a la suspensión de dicho procesamiento cuando había ya comenzado. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y clínicas.

Exploring Acceptability and Feasibility of Evidence-Based Practice in Child Welfare Settings: A Pilot Study with Attachment-Based Family Therapy.

The Flemish Child Welfare System (CWS) is in great need of a shared empirically informed clinical strategy for working with depressed adolescents and their families. Many evidence-based practices (EBP) exist, but little is known as to whether they can be successfully imported in the CWS. Therefore, the current study explores the implementation of a particular EBP, Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), in home-based services of the Flemish CWS in Belgium. Specifically, the study focused on (1) the acceptability of ABFT by counselors and whether negative attitudes about EBP can be changed (n = 73 counselors), and (2) the feasibility of implementing ABFT (n = 43 adolescents, 11-17 years old, 72% female) by exploring initial effectiveness. The results suggest that (1) initial negative attitudes of counselors towards ABFT were significantly more positive after attending training and discussions about ABFT, and that (2) ABFT could be used by counselors to successfully reduce adolescent depressive symptoms. Future research should include a control group to draw stronger causal conclusions. Strengths and limitations of the study's design and implications for further dissemination are discussed.

Attachment-Based Family Therapy: A Review of the Empirical Support.

Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) is an empirically supported treatment designed to capitalize on the innate, biological desire for meaningful and secure relationships. The therapy is grounded in attachment theory and provides an interpersonal, process-oriented, trauma-focused approach to treating adolescent depression, suicidality, and trauma. Although a process-oriented therapy, ABFT offers a clear structure and road map to help therapists quickly address attachment ruptures that lie at the core of family conflict. Several clinical trials and process studies have demonstrated empirical support for the model and its proposed mechanism of change. This article provides an overview of the clinical model and the existing empirical support for ABFT.

Attachment-based family therapy for depressed and suicidal adolescents: theory, clinical model and empirical support.

Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a manualized family-based intervention designed for working with depressed adolescents, including those at risk for suicide, and their families. It is an empirically informed and supported treatment. ABFT has its theoretical underpinnings in attachment theory and clinical roots in structural family therapy and emotion focused therapies. ABFT relies on a transactional model that aims to transform the quality of adolescent-parent attachment, as a means of providing the adolescent with a more secure relationship that can support them during challenging times generally, and the crises related to suicidal thinking and behavior, specifically. This article reviews: (1) the theoretical foundations of ABFT (attachment theory, models of emotional development); (2) the ABFT clinical model, including training and supervision factors; and (3) empirical support.