The Effectiveness of Family Interventions for Physical Disorders

This article reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of family interventions in the prevention and treatment of physical disorders. Pathways by which families influence physical health and a typology of family interventions are described. Family intervention studies, particularly randomized clinical trials, are reviewed in four clinical areas: family caregiving of elders, childhood chronic illness, spouse involvement in chronic adult illnesses, and health promotion/disease prevention. Implications for family clinicians and recommendations for future research are presented.