D. Russell Crane

Parental Support, Behavioral Control, and Psychological Control Among African American Youth The Relationships to Academic Grades, Delinquency, and Depression

Associations among three dimensions of parenting (support, behavioral control, psychological control) and measures of adolescent depression, delinquency, and academic achievement were assessed in a sample of African American youth. All data were adolescent self-reports by way of school-administered questionnaires in random samples of classrooms in southeastern U.S. metropolitan areas. Path analysis revealed several associations between parenting dimensions and youth outcomes, including negative relationships between paternal support and depression and between parental behavioral control and delinquency. Group comparisons (by youth grade level, gender, and family socioeconomic status [SES]) were also conducted, and no age or SES differences were noted.

Establishing Criterion Scores for the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

This study demonstrates the usefulness of the KMSS and RDAS in distinguishing between the maritally distressed and nondistressed. For conceptual and statistical clarity, many marital interaction and marital therapy research measures, use a single cutoff score. It was determined that the cutoff score is 17 for the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) and 48 for the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) for husbands, wives, and couples. An equivalency table of mathematical formulas is also presented, allowing the conversion of individual and couple scores from one measure of marital quality to another. It is now possible to convert a score from any one of a number of instruments (KMSS, RDAS, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Marital Adjustment Test, Revised Marital Adjustment Test) to an equivalent score as measured by another instrument.

Cohabitation, Marriage, and Remarriage A Comparison of Relationship Quality Over Time

Using longitudinal data from the 1987 to 1988 (Wave I) and 1992 to 1993 (Wave II) National Survey of Family and Households, the authors compared long-term cohabiting, married, and remarried couples in four areas of relationship quality at Wave II (happiness, communication, fairness, and disagreements). Comparisons were made after controlling for presence of a child, relationship duration, educational level, gender, ethnic status, and relationship quality at Wave I. We found that long-term cohabiting couples reported lower relationship happiness and fairness than other types of couples. Couples who cohabited prior to marriage were similar to couples who did not cohabit prior to marriage, whether the couples were in first marriages or remarriages. Differences were small among the types of couples in level of communication or disagreements.

What Works for Whom: A Meta-Analytic Review of Marital and Couples Therapy in Reference to Marital Distress

Due to methodological limitations, past meta-analytic research was not able to identify which treatment was most effective for specific marital distress levels. By converting pre-and post-test scores from marital research into equivalent Dyadic Adjustment Scale scores, it was possible to isolate mild, moderate, and severe levels of marital distress. Results show that Emotionally Focused Therapy is significantly more effective than isolated Behavioral Marital Therapy interventions for the treatment of moderate marital distress. Future directions of outcome research are also discussed.

A factor analysis of the dyadic adjustment scale with distressed and nondistressed couples

Abstract This study was an attempt to replicate the original factor analysis done by Spanir when he created the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Unlike previous studies, this one used a sample of distressed and nondistressed couples. The same factor analysis procedures Spanier used in developing the DAS were used with these samples. The Dyadic Satisfaction Subscale was not validated with any of the samples from this study. This subscale should not be used and interpreted on its own. The factor analysis for the nondistressed sample was much less supportive of the four subscales of the DAS than the factor analysis for the distressed sample. Marriage and family therapists, family life educators, and researchers should be cautious when using the DAS with nondistressed samples as one-third of the items did not factor well for this sample. Past research with nondistressed samples should be reevaluated.

Psychotherapy dropouts: differences by modality, license, and DSM-IV diagnosis.

Dropouts are frequent in mental health care. Several client factors have been identified as dropout predictors, including ethnic minority status, race, low SES, and more severe symptoms. Research on therapist and process variables is less common, and findings are inconsistent. This study used administrative data for 434,317 patients from CIGNA Behavioral Health (CIGNA) to examine dropout rates by profession of provider, therapy modality, and DSM-IV diagnosis. Results indicate that among the providers, MFTs have the lowest dropout rates in the CIGNA network. Of the therapy modalities, individual therapy is associated with lower dropout rates than family therapy. Mood and anxiety disorders have lower dropout rates than other diagnosis categories, while schizophrenia, psychotic, and substance use disorders have the highest dropout rates.

Meeting the Needs of Evidence‐based Practice in Family Therapy: Developing the Scientist‐practitioner Model

Effective models of clinical training have been and continue to be a primary topic of discussion in the field of family therapy, particularly given the needs of evidence-based practice. This article outlines the major historical and contemporary struggles of one such model of clinical training and practice: the scientist-practitioner model. Throughout the article, the principles of the scientist-practitioner model and evidence-based practices are compared and contrasted. Suggestions for overcoming the contemporary challenges faced by the scientist-practitioner in a family therapy practice or in an educational environment are discussed.

Costs of Treating Conduct Disordered Medicaid Youth with and without Family Therapy

This longitudinal, retrospective study investigated the healthcare costs of youth treated for conduct disorder in the Kansas Medicaid system. Along with a comprehensive range of services, youth received in-office individual therapy, in-office family therapy, or in-home family therapy. Data was available for 3753 youth. Overall, 3086 youth received care that included individual therapy (and no family therapy), 503 received in-home family therapy and 164 others received in-office family therapy. Healthcare costs for a period of two and one half years after therapy were available for analysis. The average cost of healthcare for youth receiving no family therapy was

Comparison of the Family Therapy Educational and Experience Requirements for Licensure or Certification in Six Mental Health Disciplines

16, 260. For those receiving in-office family therapy, the average cost was

The Influence of Professional License Type on the Outcome of Family Therapy

11,116. Youth who received in-office family therapy received