MacFarlane, Malcolm M. . Family Therapy and Mental Health: Innovations in Theory and Practice

Adolescence, Summer, 2004

MACFARLANE, Malcolm M. (Ed.). Family Therapy and Mental Health: Innovations in Theory and Practice. New York: The Haworth Clinical Practice Press, 2001. 440pp. $69.96 (h), $39.95 (p).

Family Therapy and Mental Health explores the application of family therapy approaches to the treatment of a variety of mental health problems. A variety of treatment modalities are used with patients and their families to address these problems, including family psycho-educational approaches, the McMaster Model, cognitive behavioral family therapy, brief therapy, and systemic and narrative approaches. Each chapter examines the gender and cultural issues that are relevant to the population and model it describes, and includes a case example. In addition, each chapter describes how the model is integrated with psychiatric services and examines the use of medication in each case. This volume presents a variety of family therapy approaches to conditions that include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, suicide, and addictions. There are also chapters describing family therapy approaches to special issues such as: women and mental health, brain injury, and aging. The text is written with a strong clinical focus and will be helpful and informative for frontline clinicians as well as students in graduate programs.