The Effectiveness of Family Constellation Therapy in Reducing Psychopathological Symptoms in a Naturalistic Setting

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03233958) was to provide further evidence on the effectiveness and safety of family/systemic constellation therapy, a widely used but rarely investigated form of brief group psychotherapy.

Subjects and methods: Altogether, 102 individuals from the general population were followed up 1- and 6 months after their participation in the 2-day intervention. Indicators of general and problem-area-specific psychopathology, interpersonal quality of life, meaning in life, and general wellbeing were assessed. Both statistical and clinical significance were considered, and active surveillance of potential iatrogenic effects was also conducted.

Results: The data showed significant improvement post-intervention in the case of the vast majority of the 17 outcome variables. At 1-month follow-up, the magnitude of improvements was typically in the moderate range. The patterns were very similar at the 6-month follow-up, suggesting that most intervention benefits were sustained in the middle term. Sensitivity analyses showed no therapist effects across the three intervention providers. Analyses into clinical significance showed that the most reliable improvements occurred in relation to interpersonal quality of life and non-diagnosis-specific psychopathology, with approximately half of the participants showing reliable improvement. Iatrogenic effects were comparable - both in terms of frequency and severity - to those reported for other forms of psychotherapy.

Conclusions: Findings of the present study point toward the safety and effectiveness of family constellation therapy in reducing a variety of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety) and increasing general well-being. This effectiveness is especially remarkable when considering the brevity and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.