FAMILY-THERAPY EDUCATION FOR PSYCHIATRY RESIDENTS - A PILOT-STUDY OF EFFICACY

Teaching and clinical supervision of family therapy can enhance a resi dent's clinical skills and also promote movement from a linear, reduct ionistic type of thinking to a dynamic understanding of complex system s. Second-year postgraduate residents who completed a 10-month family therapy program were tested for their ability to understand family sys tems dynamics with the Family Therapy Assessment Exercise. Comparison of their test results before and after the program indicated significa nt improvement, which was entirely accounted for by improvement in the area of therapeutic skills.