3). This wide range should be accounted for, and ideally the participants should have similar treatment histories. Too many intervening variables would interfere with the outcome of the research. It would be preferable to select participants who did not represent a wide range of treatment histories. Moreover, the "children's mood disorder diagnoses and their illness severity...also spanned a wide spectrum," (p. 3). Wide spectrums interfere with the accuracy of the research.
Ethical problems also arise in the methods used in the research. Families were chosen because their parents opted to participate in the study, but it is unclear whether or not the children participated of their own accord or because their parents wanted them to. Referrals welcomed participating families who already had children diagnosed with mental disorders. Some of the families had not yet sought treatment but many already had. Therefore, the study limited its population sample to families already aware of their children's needs. It would be more fruitful...
Instead, research should seek to find out whether these intervening variables might have had an impact on the dependent variable. Parents from certain cultural backgrounds, for example, might react to the MFPG more than others. Family structure and the gender of the child might also be important variables to consider.
Granted, the research was preliminary and the first of its kind to investigate the impact of MFPG in a controlled empirical design. Although the sample size was small, it was also diverse. The results of the research can be used as a springboard for future inquiry but cannot be generalized.
Reference
Fristad, M. a; Goldberg-Arnold, J. S; Gavazzi, S.M. (2003). Multi-family psychoeducation groups in the treatment of children with mood disorders. Journal of Marital & Family…
