Transdiagnostic family-focused therapy for youth with recent-onset bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: A pilot study in Türkiye

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Sut E., Kucuksahin N. G., Ates Z. E., Akbaydar B., Keser G., Cetin S., ...Daha Fazla

KLINIK PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-TURKISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY, cilt.29, sa.3, ss.179-190, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are severe disorders that often begin in adolescence and affect both youth and caregivers. Although interest in transdiagnostic psychosocial approaches has grown in recent years, few studies have examined the same structured family-based intervention across these diagnostic groups, particularly in non-Western settings. This single-arm pilot study evaluated the preliminary clinical and family-related outcomes of a brief, manual-based Family-Focused Therapy (FFT) program delivered in routine outpatient youth mental health care. Method: Adolescents aged 15-19 years diagnosed with bipolar disorder (n=10) or schizophrenia (n=10), along with their caregivers, received a 9-session FFT program. Overall, 87% completed the intervention and were included in analyses. Primary outcomes included depressive symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and illness insight. Secondary outcomes included caregiver depressive symptoms, caregiver burden, and family functioning. Pre-post changes and exploratory group x time patterns were examined using within-group tests and repeated-measures models. Results: Depressive symptom severity decreased and psychosocial functioning improved in both diagnostic groups, with substantial within-group standardized mean change effects. Illness insight also showed pre-post improvement. Caregiver burden decreased in both groups, whereas caregiver depressive symptoms decreased only among parents of adolescents with bipolar disorder. Family functioning changes differed across diagnostic groups and informants. Discussion: A brief transdiagnostic FFT program was associated with pre-post improvements across multiple clinical and family-related domains. Although conclusions are limited by the single-arm design, findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting the potential clinical relevance of FFT in routine outpatient care and warrant larger controlled trials of transdiagnostic family interventions in diverse clinical contexts.