Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the global progress and quantitative assessment of current research trends on family therapy, using a bibliometric approach and exploring related literature in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) database from 1992 to 2009. This study used the bibliometric arrropach to learn about the subject categories, core journals, top countries and leading research institutes in publication, most frequently used author keywords, and most frequently used KeyWords Plus. Also, this study used a “word cluster analysis” method to locate research hot topics. A majority of the subject categories were located in clinical psychology and family studies. The core journals for family therapy located in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Contemporary Family Therapy, and Journal of Family Therapy. The US ranked as the top country of world articles with the highest h-index, followed distantly by the UK and Germany. The leading research institutes were Purdue University, University of Miami, and Brigham Young University. “Adolescents” and “adolescent” were highly used words in article titles. Next, the top three most frequently used author keywords were “anorexia nervosa”, “adolescents”, and “psychotherapy”. Finally, the top three most frequently used KeyWords Plus were “psychotherapy”, “children”, and “intervention”. Based on “word cluster analysis” to determine the research hotspots, the research hot topics of family therapy fall into three categories: treated subjects, treated matters, and treatment issues. The research trend in family therapy seems to involve the therapist often treating adolescents or children for eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, or schizophrenia. During treatment or therapy, therapists and researchers must pay attention to the issues of gender, training, and therapeutic alliance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, J. F., & Parsons, B. V. (1973). Short-term behavioral intervention with delinquent families: Impact on family process and recidivism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 51, 219–225.
Alexander, J. F., Barton, C., Schiavo, R. S., et al. (1976). Systems Behavioral intervention with families of delinquents: Therapist characteristics, family behavior, and outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44(4), 656–664.
Barcai, A. (1971). Family therapy in treatment of anorexia nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 128(3), 286–290.
Barton, C., Alexander, J. F., Waldron, H., et al. (1985). Generalizing treatment effects of functional familytherapy-3 replications. American Journal of Family Therapy, 13(3), 16–26.
Birmaher, B., Brent, D. A., Kolko, D., Baugher, M., Bridge, J., Holder, D., et al. (2000). Clinical outcome after short-term psychotherapy for adolescents with major depressive disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(1), 29–36.
Brent, D. A., Holder, D., Kolko, D., Birmaher, B., Baugher, M., Roth, C., et al. (1997). A clinical psychotherapy trial for adolescent depression comparing cognitive, family, and supportive therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 54(9), 877–885.
Bressi, C., Manenti, S., Frongia, P., Porcellana, M., & Invernizzi, G. (2008). Systemic family therapy in schizophrenia: A randomized clinical trial of effectiveness. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 77(1), 43–49.
Breunlin, D. C., Schwartz, R. C., Krause, M. S., & Selby, L. M. (1983). Evaluating family-therapy training: The development of an instrument. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 9(1), 37–47.
Bustillo, J. R., Lauriello, J., Horan, W. P., & Keith, S. J. (2001). The psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia: An update. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(2), 163–175.
Byles, J., Bishop, D. S., & Horn, D. (1983). Evaluation of a family-therapy training-program. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 9(3), 299–304.
Chiu, W. T., & Ho, Y. S. (2007). Bibliometric analysis of tsunami research. Scientometrics, 73(1), 3–17.
Crespi, T. D., & Rueckert, Q. H. (2006). Family therapy and children of alcoholics: Implications for continuing education and certification in substance abuse practice. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 15(3), 33–44.
Dennis, M., Godley, S. H., Diamond, G., Tims, F. M., Babor, T., Donaldson, J., et al. (2004). The cannabis youth treatment (CYT) study: main findings from two randomized trials. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 27(3), 197–213.
Diamond, G. M., Liddle, H. A., Hogue, A., & Dakof, G. A. (1999). Alliance-building interventions with adolescents in family therapy: A process study. Psychotherapy, 36(4), 355–368.
Edwards, M. E., & Steinglass, P. (1995). Family-therapy treatment outcomes for alcoholism. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 21(4), 475–509.
Eisdorfer, C., Czaja, S. J., Loewenstein, D. A., Rubert, M. P., Arguelles, S., Mitrani, V. B., et al. (2003). The effect of a family therapy and technology-based intervention on caregiver depression. Gerontologist, 43(4), 521–531.
Eisler, I. (2005). The empirical and theoretical base of family therapy and multiple family day therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Journal of Family Therapy, 27(2), 104–131.
Eisler, I., Dare, C., Russell, G. F. M., Szmukler, G., leGrange, D., & Dodge, E. (1997). Family and individual therapy in anorexia nervosa: A 5-year follow-up. Archives of General Psychiatry, 54(11), 1025–1030.
Eisler, I., Dare, C., Hodes, M., Russell, G., Dodge, E., & Le Grange, D. (2000). Family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa: The results of a controlled comparison of two family interventions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41(6), 727–736.
Evans, H. A., Chagoya, L., & Rakoff, V. (1971). Decision-making as to choice of family therapy in an adolescent in-patient setting. Family Process, 10(1), 97–110.
Ewitt, K. N. (1978). Effectiveness of family-therapy: review of outcome research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35(5), 549–561.
Farrington, D. P. (1995). The 12th jack-tizard-memorial-lecture: The development of offending and antisocial-behavior from childhood: Key findings from the Cambridge study in delinquent development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 36(6), 929–964.
Fisher, P. A., & Chamberlain, P. (2000). Multidimensional treatment foster care: A program for intensive parenting, family support, and skill building. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8(3), 155–164.
Flodmark, C. E., Ohlsson, T., Ryden, O., & Sveger, T. (1993). Prevention of progression to severe obesity in a group of obese schoolchildren treated with family-therapy. Pediatrics, 91(5), 880–884.
Flodmark, C. E., Lissau, I., Moreno, L. A., Pietrobelli, A., & Widhalm, K. (2004). New insights into the field of children and adolescents’ obesity: the European perspective. International Journal of Obesity, 28(10), 1189–1196.
Garfield, E. (1990). KeyWords PlusTM: ISIS breakthrough retrieval method. 1. Expanding your searching power on current-contents on diskette. Current Contents, 32, 5–9.
Goldstein, M. J., Rodnick, E. H., Evans, J. R., May, P. R. A., & Steinberg, M. R. (1978). Drug and family-therapy in aftercare of acute schizophrenics. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35(10), 1169–1177.
Griest, D. L., & Wells, K. C. (1983). Behavioral family-therapy with conduct disorders in children. Behavior Therapy, 14(1), 37–53.
Haddock, S. A., Zimmerman, T. S., & MacPhee, D. (2000). The power equity guide: Attending to gender in family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 26(2), 153–170.
Haremustin, R. T. (1978). Feminist approach to family-therapy. Family Process, 17(2), 181–194.
Haremustin, R. T. (1987). The problem of gender in family-therapy theory. Family Process, 26(1), 15–27.
Henggeler, S. W., Melton, G. B., & Smith, L. A. (1992). Family preservation using multisystemic therapy- An effective alternative to incarcerating serious juvenile-offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 953–961.
Henggeler, S. W., Melton, G. B., Brondino, M. J., et al. (1997). Multisystemic therapy with violent and chronic juvenile offenders and their families: The role of treatment fidelity in successful dissemination. Journal of Consulting and Clincal Psychology, 65(5), 821–833.
Ho, Y. S. (2007). Bibliometric analysis of adsorption technology in environmental science. Journal of Environmental Protection Science, 1(1), 1–11.
Ho, Y. S., Satoh, H., & Lin, S. Y. (2010). Japanese lung cancer research trends and performances in Science Citation Index. Internal Medicine, 49(20), 2219–2228.
Hogue, A., Liddle, H. A., & Rowe, C. (1996). Treatment adherence process research in family therapy: A rationale and some practical guidelines. Psychotherapy, 33(2), 332–345.
Hogue, A., Dauber, S., Stambaugh, L. F., Cecero, J. J., & Liddle, H. A. (2006). Early therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome in individual and family therapy for adolescent behavior problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(1), 121–129.
Jackson, D. D., & Weakland, J. H. (1961). Conjoint family therapy: Some considerations on theory, technique, and results. Psychiatry, 24(2), 30–45.
Kaufman, E. (1985). Family systems and family-therapy of substance abuse: An overview of 2 decades of research and clinical-experience. International Journal of the Addictions, 20(6–7), 897–916.
Kazdin, A. E. (1997). Practitioner review: Psychosocial treatments for conduct disorder in children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 38(2), 161–178.
Kerdman, L., & Cooper, B. (1966). Experimental approach to treatment of adolescent delinquent girl: Family therapy and use of 2 therapists in court referred service. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 36(2), 291–292.
Knudson-Martin, C. (1997). The politics of gender in family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 23(4), 421–437.
Kolko, D. J., Brent, D. A., Baugher, M., Bridge, J., & Birmaher, B. (2000). Cognitive and family therapies for adolescent depression: Treatment specificity, mediation, and moderation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 603–614.
Langer, M. F. (1959). Parent groups in total family-therapy. Children, 6(2), 69–71.
Lebow, J. (1981). Issues in the assessment of outcome in family-therapy. Family Process, 20(2), 167–188.
Leff, J., Berkowitz, R., Shavit, N., Strachan, A., Glass, I., & Vaughn, C. (1989). A trial of family-therapy v a relatives group for schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 58–66.
Leff, J., Berkowitz, R., Shavit, N., Strachan, A., Glass, I., & Vaughn, C. (1990). A trial of family-therapy versus a relatives group for schizophrenia: 2 year follow-up. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 571–577.
Legrange, D., Eisler, I., Dare, C., & Russell, G. F. M. (1992). Evaluation of family treatments in adolescent anorexia-nervosa: A pilot-study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(4), 347–357.
Levene, J. E., Newman, F., & Jefferies, J. J. (1989). Focal family-therapy outcome study 1. Patient and family functioning. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry-Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie, 34(7), 641–647.
Li, L. L., Ding, G. H., Feng, N., Wang, M. H., & Ho, Y. S. (2009). Global stem cell research trend: Bibliometric analysis as a tool for mapping of trends from 1991 to 2006. Scientometrics, 80(1), 41–60.
Liddle, H. A., & Halpin, R. J. (1978). Family-therapy training and supervision literature: Comparative review. Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 4(4), 77–98.
Liddle, H. A., Dakof, G. A., Parker, K., Diamond, G. S., Barrett, K., & Tejeda, M. (2001). Multidimensional family therapy for adolescent drug abuse: Results of a randomized clinical trial. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 27(4), 651–688.
Liddle, H. A., Rowe, C. L., Dakof, G. A., Ungaro, R. A., & Henderson, C. E. (2004). Early intervention for adolescent substance abuse: Pretreatment to post-treatment outcomes of a randomized clinical trial comparing multidimensional family therapy and peer group treatment. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 36(1), 49–63.
Lock, J., Agras, W. S., Bryson, S., & Kraemer, H. C. (2005). A comparison of short- and long-term family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(7), 632–639.
Mao, N., Wang, M. H., & Ho, Y. S. (2010). A bibliometric study of the trend in articles related to risk assessment published in Science Citation Index. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 16(4), 801–824.
McDonald, H. P., Garg, A. X., & Haynes, R. B. (2002). Interventions to enhance patient adherence to medication prescriptions: Scientific review. JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(22), 2868–2879.
Mclellan, A. T., Arndt, I. O., Metzger, D. S., Woody, G. E., & Obrien, C. P. (1993). The effects of psychosocial services in substance-abuse treatment. JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association, 269(15), 1953–1959.
Minuchin, S., Baker, L., Rosman, B. L., Liebman, R., Milman, L., & Todd, T. C. (1975). Conceptual model of psychosomatic illness in children: Family organization and family therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32(8), 1031–1038.
Olson, D. H. (1970). Marital and family therapy: integrative review and critique. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 32(4), 501–538.
Pevsner, R. (1982). Group parent training versus individual family-therapy: an outcome study. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 13(2), 119–122.
Pilling, S., Bebbington, P., Kuipers, E., Garety, P., Geddes, J., Orbach, G., et al. (2002). Psychological treatments in schizophrenia: I. Meta-analysis of family intervention and cognitive behavior therapy. Psychological Medicine, 32(5), 763–782.
Pinsof, W. M. (1989). A conceptual-framework and methodological criteria for family-therapy process research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(1), 53–59.
Pool, M. L., & Frazier,. Jr. (1973). Family therapy: Review of literature pertinent to children and adolescents. Psychotherapy-Theory Research and Practice, 10(3), 256–259.
Quinn, W. H., Dotson, D., & Jordan, K. (1997). Dimensions of therapeutic alliance and their associations with outcome in family therapy. Psychotherapy Research, 7(4), 429–438.
Robbins, M. S., Turner, C. W., Alexander, J. F., et al. (2003). Alliance and dropout in family therapy for adolescents with behavior problems: Individual and systemic effects. Journal of Family Psychology, 17(4), 534–544.
Robbins, M. S., Liddle, H. A., Turner, C. W., Dakof, G. A., Alexander, J. F., & Kogan, S. M. (2006). Adolescent and parent therapeutic alliances as predictors of dropout in multidimensional family therapy. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(1), 108–116.
Robbins, M. S., Mayorga, C. C., Mitrani, V. B., et al. (2008). Adolescent and parent alliances with therapists in Brief Strategic Family Therapy (TM) with drug-using Hispanic adolescents. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34(3), 316–328.
Rotrock, G. K., Wellisch, D. K., & Schoolar, J. C. (1977). Family-therapy outcome study in an inpatient setting. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 47(3), 514–522.
Russell, G. F. M., Szmukler, G. I., Dare, C., & Eisler, I. (1987). An evaluation of family-therapy in anorexia-nervosa and bulimia-nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44(12), 1047–1056.
Safer, D. J. (1966). Family therapy for children with behavior disorders. Family Process, 5(2), 243–255.
Santisteban, D. A., Coatsworth, J. D., Perez-Vidal, A., Kurtines, W. M., Schwartz, S. J., LaPerriere, A., et al. (2003). Efficacy of brief strategic family therapy in modifying Hispanic adolescent behavior problems and substance use. Journal of Family Psychology, 17(1), 121–133.
Schmidt, U., Lee, S., Beecham, J., Perkins, S., Treasure, J., Yi, I., et al. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy guided self-care for adolescents with bulimia nervosa and related disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(4), 591–598.
Schoenwald, S. K., & Hoagwood, K. (2001). Effectiveness, transportability, and dissemination of interventions: What matters when? Psychiatric Services, 52(9), 1190–1197.
Scholz, M., Rix, M., Scholz, K., Gantchev, K., & Thomke, V. (2005). Multiple family therapy for anorexia nervosa: concepts, experiences and results. Journal of Family Therapy, 27(2), 132–141.
Shelef, K., Diamond, G. M., Diamond, G. S., & Liddle, H. A. (2005). Adolescent and parent alliance and treatment outcome in multidimensional family therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(4), 689–698.
Sigal, J. J., Rakoff, V., & Epstein, N. B. (1967). Indicators of therapeutic outcome in conjoint family therapy. Family Process, 6(2), 215–226.
Slesnick, N., & Prestopnik, J. L. (2009). Comparison of family therapy outcome with alcohol-abusing, runaway adolescents. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(3), 255–277.
Stanton, M. D., & Shadish, W. R. (1997). Outcome, attrition, and family-couples treatment for drug abuse: A meta-analysis and review of the controlled, comparative studies. Psychological Bulletin, 122(2), 170–191.
Taggart, M. (1985). The feminist critique in epistemological perspective: Questions of context in family-therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 11(2), 113–126.
Tomm, K. M., & Wright, L. M. (1979). Training in family-therapy: Perceptual, conceptual and executive skills. Family Process, 18(3), 227–250.
Topper, M. D., & Curtis, J. (1987). Extended family-therapy:A clinical approach to the treatment of synergistic dual anomic depression among Navajo agency-town adolescents. Journal of Community Psychology, 15(3), 334–348.
Vidinovski, P. (2007). Combine the concept of group and systemic family therapy to treat alcoholism. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, A94.
Vidinovski, P. (2009). Systemic family therapy of alcoholism program: Economic and efficient but underestimated. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 12, S44.
Waldron, H. B., & Kaminer, Y. (2004). On the learning curve: the emerging evidence supporting cognitive-behavioral therapies for adolescent substance abuse. Addiction, 99(2), 93–105.
Waldron, H. B., & Turner, C. W. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for adolescent substance abuse. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 238–261.
Waldron, H. B., Slesnick, N., Brody, J. L., Turner, C. W., & Peterson, T. R. (2001). Treatment outcomes for adolescent substance abuse at 4-and 7-month assessments. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(5), 802–813.
Woodward, C. A., Santabarbara, J., Levin, S., & Epstein, N. B. (1978). Role of goal attainment scaling in evaluating family-therapy outcome. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 48(3), 464–476.
Xie, S. D., Zhang, J., & Ho, Y. S. (2008). Assessment of world aerosol research trends by bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics, 77(1), 113–130.
Yang, L. H., & Pearson, V. J. (2002). Understanding families in their own context: Schizophrenia and structural family therapy in Beijing. Journal of Family Therapy, 24(3), 233–257.
Zuk, G. H. (1966). Go-between process in family therapy. Family Process, 5(2), 162–178.
Zygmunt, A., Olfson, M., Boyer, C. A., & Mechanic, D. (2002). Interventions to improve medication adherence in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(10), 1653–1664.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lou, YC., Lin, HF. Estimate of global research trends and performance in family therapy in Social Science Citation Index. Scientometrics 90, 807–823 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0549-9
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0549-9