The Interaction of Positive and Negative Relationship Characteristics and Their Association with Relationship and Individual Health Outcomes in Older Couples.

The purpose of this study was to examine how positive and negative relationship characteristics and their interaction were predictive of global relationship happiness, psychological symptoms, and physical health in a large sample of older couples. The NSHAP Wave 2 partner data = 955) were used to estimate both actor (within person) and partner (between person) effects using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model with Moderation. Global relationship happiness was predicted by the interaction of positive and negative characteristics, suggesting that more positive characteristics are only predictive of greater happiness in the presence of some negative characteristics.

Perceived overlap and therapy outcomes among couple clients.

This article explores couples' perceptions and expectations of closeness in a clinical setting, and how relationship perceptions and expectations are associated with treatment outcomes. Bowen's theory of differentiation suggests that healthy relationships require a balance of autonomy and connection. However, some research suggests that contemporary societal expectations are pushing couples to expect greater degrees of closeness and less autonomy.

Couple differentiation and health-related quality of life.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether couple differentiation influenced mental and physical health-related quality of life in couple members. Data for this study were derived from a larger study at a couple a family therapy clinic. One hundred and thirty-three couples were included in a latent profile analysis, and seventy-two couples were included in analyses of mean differences.

Variations in the association between education and self-reported health by race/ethnicity and structural racism.

Research has documented a longstanding association between education achievement and physical health outcomes. However, research has suggested that the health benefits gained from education differ by race, with minoritized racial groups generally experiencing poorer health and fewer health benefits from education. One potential explanation for this phenomena of "diminished returns" is the influence of structural racism.

Therapists' confidence in their theory of change and outcomes.

Previous research has sought to understand what therapist characteristics contribute to positive outcomes for clients. It is widely accepted knowledge that the alliance between the therapist and client is a significant contributing factor to client outcomes. With that said, few studies have examined specific characteristics within the therapist themselves that may contribute to client success, regardless of the therapeutic model being used.

Structural racism and the education gradient for early all-cause mortality.

There are clear connections between education achieved and health over the course of a lifetime, with higher education achievement being associated with better health. However, the association between education and mortality have differed by race, with minoritized populations reaping fewer benefits from education attained. This paper aims to understand the moderating effect of structural racism (measured at the state level) on the association between education and all-cause early mortality for Black and White participants.

Prospective Study of a Novel Risk Stratification Process for Opioid-Related Harm Reduction in Cancer Patients Seen in an Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic.

Oncologists and palliative specialists prescribe opioids for millions of cancer patients despite limited research on effective screening and mitigation strategies to reduce risk of opioid-related harm in that population. To evaluate the efficacy of a novel opioid risk stratification process for predicting significant aberrant behaviors (SABs) related to prescribed opioid medications. This is a prospective, longitudinal study of 319 consecutive patients referred to an outpatient palliative care clinic between 2010 and 2012, a period during which prescription opioid-related deaths began to increase in the United States.

Progress monitoring with couple clients.

The purpose of this paper was to assess differences in treatment progress in couple who were in a treatment as usual condition or a progress monitoring condition. Previous research has suggested that progress monitoring is useful for couples, but that research did not include change in relationship satisfaction over time. : Using a sample of 130 couples who sought services at an on-campus training clinic, treatment satisfaction, progress, alliance and relationship satisfaction data over the first four sessions of treatment were analyzed with couples in two conditions.

A Primer for the Use of Multilevel Models in Couple and Family Therapy Research.

This article serves as a primer for understanding how to use multilevel modeling (MLM) techniques in couple and family therapy outcome and process research. It outlines the use of HLM and Mplus-two of many software programs that can perform multilevel modeling-and provides an applied example of using MLM to investigate the use of postsession feedback on couple satisfaction and change, as well as the influence of trauma on the use of postsession feedback. Two graduate students in COAMFTE accredited PhD programs read the primer and provided questions to the first author that arose.

Differentiation: Moderator or mediator for change in satisfaction in the early sessions of couple therapy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differentiation served as a moderator or a mediator for the association between initial levels of distress in couple members and change in satisfaction in the early sessions of couple therapy. Based on the call for more process research in couple and family therapy completed in naturalistic settings, the data from this study came from a larger ongoing data collection at an on-campus training clinic.

Method: One hundred and seven couples completed intake questionnaires and after-session questionnaires for the first four sessions of couple therapy.

Couple Differentiation: Mediator or Moderator of Depressive Symptoms and Relationship Satisfaction?

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether differentiation at the couple level would act as a moderator or a mediator in the association between marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms over time. In a sample of 412 couples, a latent profile analysis was performed to determine how couple differentiation scores were clustered. An Actor/Partner Interdependence Model was then estimated via a group comparison procedure in structural equation modeling.

Benefits to Children Who Participate in Family Therapy with their Substance-Using Mother.

It is rare that family members other than the identified patient are followed over time in studies of therapy effectiveness. Family therapy is believed to be effective because it targets processes within the system that maintain symptoms. If these processes are changed, then all family members can benefit.

The Family System and Depressive Symptoms during the College Years: Triangulation, Parental Differential Treatment, and Sibling Warmth as Predictors.

Guided by Bowen theory, we investigated the relationships between parent-child triangulation, parental differential treatment (PDT), sibling warmth, and individual depressive symptoms in a sample of 77 sibling dyads, aged 18-25 years, recruited through undergraduate classes at a U.S. public University.

Therapist Differentiation and Couple Clients' Perceptions of Therapeutic Alliance.

Therapeutic alliance has been acknowledged as one of the catalysts for change within a therapeutic relationship. The contributions of therapists' characteristics to alliance are not often studied. From a Bowen System's Theory perspective, the therapist's level of differentiation would be highly relevant to the development of a therapeutic alliance.

Collecting and Pooling Assessment and Outcome Data in Couple and Family Therapy Training Clinics: Reasons to Do It, Common Problems, and Some Suggestions for Avoiding Them.

The article by Johnson et al. (2015) is an excellent example of many of the advantages and challenges of collecting data in clinics associated with Couple and Family Therapy training programs. In the hopes of encouraging more use of clinic datasets for research, we suggest some ways to improve the feasibility, quality, and value of routinely collecting such data.

Reciprocity in Adolescent and Caregiver Violence.

Over a 2-year period, with assessments every six months, the reciprocity in violent behaviors (verbal and physical) was investigated in a sample of 161 adolescents, who met the criteria for substance or alcohol abuse or dependence, and their caregivers, who participated in a clinical trial for family treatment for adolescent substance abuse. Using observed variables in a structural equation model with panel data, there was very little stability in violent behaviors across time from the perspectives of both the adolescents and caregivers. Evidence for violence reciprocity between adolescent and caregiver was demonstrated toward the end of the study period.

Connection to parents and healthy separation during adolescence: a longitudinal perspective.

The purpose of our study was to investigate how connection between parents and children influences the child's healthy separation during adolescence. We analyzed 3 waves of panel data from a study (Flourishing Families Project) of 500 families with children who were 10-13 years old at Time 1. This study includes information from the perspective of the child and his/her mother over a 4 year period for two-parent families and mother-headed households.

Relational Ethics, Depressive Symptoms, and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples in Therapy.

The purpose of this study was to examine depressive symptoms and relationship satisfaction as problems related to relational ethics in one's family of origin and current partner relationships in a sample of 68 other-sex couples seeking therapy at a large university clinic. We used the Actor Partner Interdependence Model to analyze dyadic data collected prior to beginning therapy. Specifically, we found significant actor effects between relational ethics in one's family of origin and depressive symptoms, as well as between depressive symptoms and low relationship satisfaction for both male and female partners.

Couple communication, emotional and sexual intimacy, and relationship satisfaction.

Emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy in romantic relationships are important correlates of couples' relationship satisfaction. However, few studies have examined the effect of emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy on relationship satisfaction within the context of the interpersonal relationship processes. In addition, the association between emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy remains unclear.

Intervention with substance-abusing runaway adolescents and their families: results of a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: To examine the efficacy of 3 theoretically distinct interventions among substance-abusing runaway adolescents and to explore individual differences in trajectories of change.

Method: Adolescents (N = 179) between the ages of 12 and 17 were recruited from a runaway shelter in a midwestern city. The sample included 94 females (52.

Dating violence victimization across the teen years: abuse frequency, number of abusive partners, and age at first occurrence.

Background: Prior longitudinal studies have shown high cumulative dating violence exposure rates among U.S adolescents, with 36 percent of males and 44 percent to 88 percent of females experiencing victimization across adolescence/young adulthood. Despite promising information characterizing adolescents' dating violence experiences longitudinally, prior studies tended to concentrate on physical and sexual types of violence only, and did not report information on the number of times dating violence was experienced across multiple abusive partners.

Alliance and termination status in couple therapy: a comparison of methods for assessing discrepancies.

Much of the empirical data available about therapeutic alliance and its relationship to termination status come from individual psychotherapies. We know less about therapeutic alliance in couple therapy. A unique characteristic of alliance in couple or family therapy is the possibility of discrepancies in alliance between system members.

Trajectories of therapeutic alliance in couple versus individual therapy: three-level models.

Research concerning therapeutic alliance and outcome is prevalent but relies heavily on data from individual treatment. In this article, the authors present data from cases in which an individual was seen and cases in which a couple was seen in order to investigate differences in therapeutic alliance and its trajectory depending on case type, therapist experience, and therapist sex. Participants included 96 couples and 52 individuals with 15 therapists from a large Midwestern training clinic for couple and family therapy.

The utility of mentoring homeless adolescents: a pilot study.

Background: Despite the intuitive appeal and popularity of mentoring programs, mentoring has shown only limited success for positively impacting children's psychosocial functioning. Furthermore, we were not able to identify a study that examined the potential utility of mentoring for homeless adolescents.

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of mentoring among a group of homeless adolescents who were also receiving substance abuse treatment.

The impact of initial factors on therapeutic alliance in individual and couples therapy.

The study uses 457 clients to investigate the impact of initial client factors on the development of therapeutic alliance. Data were collected longitudinally over the early portion of treatment. Cases included both individual and couple clients, allowing for examination of differences by case type.