The treatment efficacy of multiple family therapy (MFT) for Chinese families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been studied in the past. In this paper, the effect of MFT on different aspects of the lives of the parents in the experimental group (n = 61) was compared with the effect of only the psychoeducational talks on parents in the control group (n = 53). The results of a MANOVA have shown that by the time they reached the posttreatment phase, the parents who had completed the full 42 hours of the MFT program perceived their children's ADHD symptoms as being less serious and less pathological than they had originally thought compared to the parents in the control group. The effect of MFT on parent-child relationships, parenting stress, parental efficacy, hope, and perceived social support was statistically insignificant. Contributions and limitations of our study are discussed.

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This clinical case example from a Chinese context describes the healing journey through structural family therapy (SFT) of a depressed Chinese father with high functioning autism (HFA). The paper both narrates the experience of a father and his family in facing the relational challenges arising from HFA and explores the contributions of SFT in helping. Identifying the father's history of loss at the individual and family levels as well as the pattern of family relationships in the family sheds light on directions for treatment. Key treatment principles of SFT and strategies to help depressed adults with HFA let go of anger and losses, both symbolic and real, and reconnect with their families are discussed. Practitioner points • Structural family therapy (SFT) can assist depressed adults with high functioning autism (HFA) in reconnecting with their spouses and children • Therapists' trust of family competence and uniqueness, and the artful use of enactment, can facilitate healing for depressed adults with HFA • Therapists' knowledge of HFA, and their humility and willingness to learn from this clientele, are critical

This paper reports the results of our study that assessed the treatment efficacy of multiple family therapy (MFT) from the perspective of participating Chinese children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and identified their subjective experiences. Forty‐three children with ADHD in the experimental group (EG) completed a forty‐two‐hour MFT, whilst forty‐five children with ADHD in the control group (CG) had attended two writing classes scheduled three months apart that were similar to those of the MFT. Data from the outcome study were gathered using standardized questionnaires and data from the qualitative study were drawn from thirteen children with ADHD who had completed the MFT and attended the focus group interviews (n = 5) or individual interviews (n = 8) conducted in the post‐treatment phase. The results of the Paired sample t‐test and MANOVA indicated no significant changes on the scores for the four measures adopted (perception of competence, hopefulness, parent‐child relationship and perceived social support) in the pre‐ and post‐treatment for the EG and the CG. Five themes emerged from the narratives of children with ADHD, which revealed the children’s subjective experiences with the MFT: (a) full of fun; (b) building friendships through common experiences; (c) a happy family time; (d) safe space; and (e) positive parental responses and communications.

Fathers and mothers experienced different gains from attending MFT. Fathers' involvement in their child's treatment should be encouraged and facilitated.