This article provides an updated review and synthesis of the research and clinical literature dealing with multiple family therapy as an identifiable treatment approach. Major emphasis is placed on the literature published since an earlier comprehensive review (63). It is concluded that multiple family therapy is a viable and promising treatment modality, yet one that in clinical practice remains underused, conceptually underdeveloped, and poorly differentiated from other treatment approaches. Recommendations are made and pathways are identified that may promote the further growth and development of the approach.

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An observational study was conducted to test the hypothesis that sequenced patterns of interaction in which mothers deferred control to their sons and sons assumed control would discriminate high-and low-problem single mother-son dyads. Audiotaped communication samples were obtained from 24 divorced or separated single mothers and their 6-to 9-year-old eldest sons interacting in a problem-solving task situation. Dyads were denned as high problem (n = 12) or low problem (n = 12) on the basis of the child's Conduct Problem scale score on the Behavior Problem Checklist. Trained observers rated each communication unit as either dominant, submissive, or neutral. Sequential analytic procedures were employed to summarize contingencies in the exchanges of dominant and submissive behaviors for each dyad, and a multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate whether these contingencies differed between groups. The results indicated that submissive communications from mothers were more likely to elicit dominant communications from their sons in high-problem dyads than in low-problem dyads. Furthermore, dominant communications from sons were more likely to elicit submissive communications from mothers in the high-problem group than in the low-problem one.Interaction models of child behavior problems (e.g., Patterson, 1982) posit that dysfunctions in parent-child interactions account for deviant child behavior. A large body of data is consistent with this perspective (e.g.

Depressive symptoms and social contacts of 76 children living in one‐parent families were assessed through child and parent report measures. In each case, the child was the eldest or only child and was between 6 and 10 years old. The child's relations with peers, siblings, the noncustodial father, the custodial mother, and other adults were examined. Analyses revealed that the overall quality of the child's social contacts was a better predictor of depressive symptoms than was frequency of contact. In general, the quality of relationships with other adults was the best single predictor of symptoms. However, for the subgroup of families in which there were siblings present, quality of the child's relationship with siblings was a marginally significant predictor. Results suggest the importance of nonparental relationships in moderating the child's self‐reported depressive symptoms.