The systemic family therapy for patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia

This paper reports nine serious cases of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) treated by systemic family therapy, and also discusses the connection between the patients symptoms and their family dynamics. About 90% of the patients revealed significant improvement by this therapy. This study also discusses the therapist's effective involvement in the therapeutic process. Generally, problems arising due to familial causes have to be viewed at two different levels. The first is that of content. That is, the specific problem as identified by either the patients or their family members. The second is that of context which is the web of interrelationships and other related circumstances within the family which are influenced by the belief that there is a problem. Systemic family therapy thus places greater emphasis on changing the dynamics within the family which are influenced by the belief that there is a problem. Systemic family therapy thus places greater emphasis on changing the dynamics within the context. In the representative three cases reported here in the therapist ostensibly addressed the content, each in a different way. In the first case the therapist 'denied the existence of the specific family relationship problem identified by the patient and the family members.' In the second representative case the therapist 'acknowledged the patient's family relationship problem but denied its relation to the patient's symptoms.' In the third case the therapist 'acknowledged the patient's family relationship problem and also acknowledged its relation to the patient's symptoms.' Thus the therapist adapted three different stances. In each of the representative three cases, however, the therapist actually attempted to change the dynamics within the patient's familial context. The reason for using different therapeutic approaches in the three cases was that in each case the strength of the patients' and/or their family members' belief in the existence of a family relationship problem differed. The therapist, therefore, had to deal with each patient and his/her family members in a different way in order to establish a harmonious optimum therapeutic relationship.