Behavioral skill practice as a predictor of mood and family functioning in adolescents with bipolar and depressive mood disorders: Results of a 6-month randomized trial of family-focused therapy.
Marc J Weintraub, John A Merranko, Megan C Ichinose, Danielle M Denenny, Patricia D Walshaw, Georga Morgan-Fleming, Robin D Brown, Armen C Arevian, David J Miklowitz
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Behavioral interventions require considerable practice of treatment skills in between therapy sessions. The effects of these treatments may vary with the degree to which patients are able to implement these practices. In offspring of parents with bipolar and major depressive disorders, we examined whether youth who frequently practiced communication and problem-solving skills between family-focused therapy (FFT) sessions had less severe mood symptoms and better psychosocial functioning over 6 months than youth who practiced less frequently.
Methods: We randomly assigned offspring (ages 12-19) of parents with mood disorders to 12 sessions of FFT plus a mobile app that encouraged the practice of communication, problem-solving and mood management skills (FFT-MyCoachConnect [MCC] condition) or 12 sessions of FFT with an app that only allowed for tracking of symptoms and stress (FFT-Track condition). Independent evaluators assessed youths' mood and psychosocial functioning at 9-week intervals over 27 weeks. Clinicians rated participants' between-session skill practice at each FFT session.
Results: FFT-MCC was associated with more frequent skill practice than FFT-Track over 18 weeks of treatment. Skill practice was associated with reductions in youths' mood instability and perceptions of family conflict over 27 weeks in both app conditions. Skill practice mediated the effects of app condition on youths' mood instability and family functioning.
Conclusions: Mobile applications as adjuncts to family therapy for youth with mood disorders can help increase skill practice. These findings provide preliminary causal evidence for behavioral skill practice improving mood symptoms and family functioning among youth with mood disorders.
期刊介绍:
Bipolar Disorders is an international journal that publishes all research of relevance for the basic mechanisms, clinical aspects, or treatment of bipolar disorders and related illnesses. It intends to provide a single international outlet for new research in this area and covers research in the following areas:
biochemistry
physiology
neuropsychopharmacology
neuroanatomy
neuropathology
genetics
brain imaging
epidemiology
phenomenology
clinical aspects
and therapeutics of bipolar disorders
Bipolar Disorders also contains papers that form the development of new therapeutic strategies for these disorders as well as papers on the topics of schizoaffective disorders, and depressive disorders as these can be cyclic disorders with areas of overlap with bipolar disorders.
The journal will consider for publication submissions within the domain of: Perspectives, Research Articles, Correspondence, Clinical Corner, and Reflections. Within these there are a number of types of articles: invited editorials, debates, review articles, original articles, commentaries, letters to the editors, clinical conundrums, clinical curiosities, clinical care, and musings.