_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fam Proc 11:361-363, 1972

ABSTRACTS OF LITERATURE
ABSTRACTED BY IRA D. GLICK

Beall, L., The Corrupt Contract: Problems in Conjoint Therapy with Parents and Children, Am. J. Orthopsychiat.,
42, 77-81, 1972.
Three case examples from an outpatient clinic illustrate the notion that the initial therapeutic contract can make the
problems of the family worse rather than better.

Crisp, A. and Toms, D., Primary Anorexia Nervosa, or a Weight Phobia in the Male: Report of 13 Cases, Br. Med.
J., 1, 334-337, 1972.
Thirteen male patients with anorexia nervosa are described and have the same characteristics as with previously described
female patients. The syndrome was found to be associated with a high degree of family psychopathology and marital
difficulty.

Brandan, W., Talmadge, J. and Van, Sickle G., Familial Communicational Patterns of a Patient with Gilles de la
Tourette Syndrome, J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 154, 60-68, 1972.
This is an experimental study attempting to document the hypothesis that verbal behavior could be correlated with
differences in posture of participants in a family therapy session. Method was to film a family including mother, father, and
identified patient, who had Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome. Verbal and nonverbal coding systems that were set up and
results analyzed, using the Chi Square Test. Results indicated that measurements of adequacy and responsibility in
verbalizations were correlated with congruent time periods (those in which at least two participants in conversation were an
identical or mirror image position for the given postural modality of the study). There were no significant results obtained
for interpersonal word references, positive-negative verb forms, content phrases, or affect-laden phrases.

Odeom, L. and Seeman, J. Newbrough, J., A Study of Family Communication Patterns and Personality Integration
in Children, Child Psychiat. Hum. Devel., 1, 275-285, 1971.
This was a clinical pilot study attempting to generate an hypothesis about the role of intrafamilial communication patterns
in the psychological adjustment of children. Method was to sort a subsample of a fifth-grade class ranked on "personality
integration" using the Bill Lewis Reputation Test and the Radke-Yarrow Teacher Rating Scale. On the ratings of
high-adjustment and low-adjustment families, four families (out of five) who volunteered to participate in the
high-adjustment group and three (of three) families in the low-adjustment group were used. An observer, blind to
adjustment of the family, observed the family while they did a family task using Rorschach cards. High-adjustment families,
compared to low-adjustment families, had a greater range of communication skills, more role clarity, less psychological
distance between family members, and greater decentralization in decision-making.

Rossi, A., Family Development in a Changing World, Am. J. Psychiat., 128, 1057-1066, 1972.
This is an essay describing the changing role of women in the family in the last half century. It is believed that women now
devote a smaller percentage of their adult life to rearing of children and have achieved higher levels of education, which has
facilitated more egalitarian relationships between husbands and wives and has increased the proportion of married women
who are capable of holding jobs. Marriage rates are not decreasing, but divorce rates are. The feminist movement may help
in reshaping one's personal goals to keep pace with rapidly changing social changes.

Schuerman, J., Marital Interaction and Posthospital Adjustment, Soc. Casework, 53, 163-172, 1972.
It was hypothesized that expectations for emotional gratification in marriage of the identified patient (who was hospitalized)
would correlate with outcome. Twenty-two married women, ages 20 to 45, living with husbands at the time of admission,
and living close enough to follow-up, were sampled. Eleven of the 22 were "depressed," eight were "schizophrenic," and
the remaining three were alcoholic or having an anxiety reaction. A semi-structured interview, as well as checklist focusing

1
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

on emotional gratification in marriage were developed. Interviews were done by two people, and interrater reliability was
0.62 to 0.83. Outcome was measured at six months. Among seven scales, only one, "emotional responsiveness," correlated
with outcome; the more emotionally responsive the spouse, the better the outcome.

Solomon, M., Family Therapy Dropouts: Resistance to Change, Canad. Psychiat. J., 14, 21-29, 1969.
This is a clinical paper which retrospectively hypothesizes that resistance to change in the family was responsible for the
family's unilateral decision to terminate treatment. Data came from five families treated from four to seventeen sessions on
an outpatient basis. Treatment stopped at the point where change had to be made in the husband-wife relationship (the
change was perceived by the family as a threat to stability). The role of therapist in provoking termination of therapy was
discussed, and a comprehensive review of the literature on family resistance was made.

Szalita, A., The Relevance of the Family Interview for Psychoanalysis, Contemp. Psychoanal., 8, 31-44, 1971.
Based on data from the author's private practice, it is suggested that family therapy is useful in conjunction with
psychoanalysis. Data was derived from those cases in which one or both spouses were in analysis with the author. Family
interviewing can be useful (a) during psychoanalytic training to help the candidate avoid a transference problem, (b) as an
adjunct to individual psychoanalysis to shorten the process, (c) to correct distorted impressions, and 4) for diagnostic
purposes.

Vosburg, R., Conjoint Therapy of Migraine: A Case Report, Psychosomatics, 13, 61-63, 1972.
Based on a case report of a 44-year-old white male with migraine who was noted to have an onset of headache in associated
with anger toward his wife, family therapy was prescribed with weekly sessions lasting three months. After 8 sessions the
patient was free of headaches and was not on any medication; however, at the point where the marriage had to be
renegotiated, the couple terminated treatment. Based on the observed family dynamics, it was thought the migraine was
related to "suppressed feelings of resentment."

Winter, W., Family Therapy: Research and Theory, Curr. Topics Clin. Comm. Psychol., 3, 95-121, 1971.
This is a review article on theory and research in family therapy. Research in family therapy has been nonsystematic and
poorly designed. Therapist characteristics, therapeutic techniques, family characteristics, and therapy setting and stage in
therapy are relevant research variables to study. Family therapy outcome studies have been inconclusive, and there has as
yet been no controlled study to indicate that it works.