ABSTRACT This present article reports on the experiences of parents of children with cancer who participated in an emotionally focused Hold Me Tight (HMT) group intervention. A purposive sample of 24 parents was recruited from 3‐day HMT courses. Focus group conversations were conducted at the end of each course and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The 3‐day HMT group intervention resulted in experiences that strengthened parents' personal well‐being and couple resilience. Individual, couple, and family‐related meanings emerged in these conversations. The subthemes of the individual‐related meanings included identifying the need for self‐exploration, enabling a new form of self‐observation, increasing self‐understanding, and improving personal well‐being and resilience. The subthemes of the couple‐related meanings were identifying and processing couple relationship dynamics, increasing understanding of relationship interactions, facilitating prevention and coping with challenging situations, and strengthening the mutual emotional connection. The subtheme of the family‐related meanings was increasing understanding of family interactions. These results suggest the need for further research on HMT group interventions for this target population.

Abstract A new version of the Systemic Clinical Outcome Routine Evaluation (C‐SCORE) was developed for use with couples to assess, plan and monitor progress in therapy. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of C‐SCORE in an international community sample of 300 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that a twenty‐two‐item, five‐factor version of C‐SCORE best fit the data. The scale and its factor sub‐scales had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability over a 1‐month period. C‐SCORE showed good concurrent and construct validity as evidenced by significant associations with other measures of couple relational functioning, mental health and wellbeing and self‐rated couple issues. These promising findings require further validation with a clinical sample.

Abstract Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a distressing mental illness that is overrepresented in adolescents and youth and which was previously thought difficult to treat. Families and carers of those with BPD can also experience high levels of distress and burden and can struggle in their support of those with BPD. The Families and Carers Training and Support (FACTS) program is an innovative skills and education program for family members and carers of someone with BPD informed by mentalisation‐based treatment (MBT) principles. To address a gap in the research, the present study aimed to see what effect, if any, a carer‐focused intervention has on the young people with BPD themselves. To assess this, interviews were conducted with eight young people whose family members participated in the program. Overall, the young people felt there had been positive changes during and after their family members' participation in the program. They felt the communication with their family members improved; they also felt more understood and that they had more space and freedom in the home and that the tension in the household decreased. Additionally, several young people felt they would have liked to be more involved in the process and to take part in the program alongside their family members. The findings indicate that interventions focusing on building understanding and self‐awareness in carers of those BPD can be important in ameliorating the challenging impact of BPD on young people and their families.

Abstract We are facing devastating effects of the climate emergency and systemic environmental breakdown. These impact on mental health and wellbeing. Family therapy has only marginally engaged with these crises and the relationship between people and ecosystem. This Delphi survey identifies key elements to include in family therapy training to attend to the ecosystem and the climate and ecological emergencies. Participants generated ninety‐six statements that were clustered into six overarching ‘topic areas’ (theories, orientations, schools, integrations/transformations, methods, and techniques). There were sixty‐six statements agreed at a high level of consensus and seventeen with a moderate level of consensus, while there was no consensus over the remaining thirteen items. All participants opted to suggest references, which form a reading list to accompany these ideas.

Abstract A total of 32% of children whose parents have some mental health problems are estimated to be diagnosed with some mental disorder later in life. As a consequence, a need arises to offer preventive psychological interventions aimed at these children. The aims were to investigate whether there are significant changes before and after the KidsTime program. In total, 101 people participated in the program, and pre‐intervention and post‐intervention data on self‐stigma, self‐esteem, resilience, parenting practices and strength and difficulties of thirty‐three parents with mental illness were obtained. Significant pre‐post differences were found in the ‘expression of affection’ subscale of the parenting practices and in self‐stigma. In the group of parents with a mental illness, the KidsTime program showed improvement of parents' emotional support for their children and a reduction in their self‐stigma as well. Multi‐family interventions are key to improving self‐stigma and parenting skills, and this can lead to prevention of future mental health problems in their children.