Use of Attachment-based Family Therapy for Adolescents Struggling with Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

Guy Diamond, Ph.D.

April 28th, 2023 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

3 CE Credits

$60/ MPA/MSPA Members $85/Non-Members

Online via Zoom

This workshop is presented by a coalition of over 30 State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations and hosted by MOPA

Suicides jumped 29% among adolescents ages 15-to-19 over the previous decade. In addition to those who die by suicide, there are many more adolescents who have suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide and survive. Youth suicidal ideation, attempt and completion are on the rise. One survey showed that 18.8% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide and 8.9% actually attempted suicide. 

​Attachment-based family therapy, a well researched, trust-based, emotion focused psychotherapy designed to improve family and individual processes associated with adolescent suicide and depression, has been found to be an effective tool in protecting our adolescents from threats to themselves. Learn about this from one of its primary developers.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain the theoretical foundation of ABFT that guides therapists in therapy implementation.
2. Discuss the purpose of the five treatment tasks.
3. Design therapy to focus on interpersonal growth rather than behavioral control.

 

REGISTER 
Guy Diamond, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Associate Professor at Drexel University in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. At Drexel, he is the Director of the Center for Family Intervention Science (CFIS). Dr. Diamond is the primary developer of Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT). He has received several federal, state and foundation grants to develop and test this model. His primary work has been in the area of youth suicide prevention and treatment research. On the prevention side, he has created a program focused on training, screening and triage to be implemented in non-behavioral health settings. On the treatment side, he has focused on the development and testing of attachment-based family therapy, especially for teens struggling with depression and suicide. Much of this work has focused on inner-city low-income families. He has served as the VP of Science for Division 43 of APA and has focused his efforts on increasing the visibility of the Division as a leader in Family Intervention Science in APA. He was a main stage presenter at APA’s 2022 convention.

Along with his co-authors, Drs. Gary Diamond and Suzanne Levy, Dr. Diamond has written the first book on ABFT “Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Depressed Adolescents,” published by the American Psychological Association. ABFT emerges from interpersonal theories that suggest adolescent depression and suicide can be precipitated, exacerbated, or buffered against by the quality of interpersonal relationships in families. ABFT aims to repair interpersonal ruptures and rebuild an emotionally protective, secure-based, parent child relationship. The treatment initially focuses on repairing or strengthening attachment and then turns to promoting adolescent autonomy.