Multi-Family Therapy in East and Southeast Asia-A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.

TL;DR

Systematic review of 18 reports from 17 multi-family therapy studies in East/Southeast Asia found more consistent improvements in individual-level outcomes (symptom severity, psychological distress, functioning) than family-system outcomes. Qualitative findings highlight creation of non-problem-saturated spaces, shared enjoyable activities, and enhanced inter/intra-family connection.

Key findings

• Quantitative analyses showed multi-family therapy consistently improved individual-level outcomes but produced mixed effects on family-system outcomes
• Qualitative synthesis identified four key mechanisms: non-problem-saturated therapeutic space, enjoyable shared activities, inter- and intra-family connection building, and relational understanding
• Individual-level benefits were more readily captured by quantitative measures while relational and process-level changes were less well-reflected
• Future research should improve methodological rigor and extend multi-family therapy evaluation to additional presenting problems such as eating disorders

Why this matters at the bedside

Multi-family therapy appears effective for reducing individual symptom burden and psychological distress in East/Southeast Asian populations, though measurement of family-system changes remains challenging. The identified therapeutic mechanisms (shared positive experiences, reduced problem-saturation) may guide implementation and outcome selection in clinical settings.