Research

Internet Addiction and Efficacy of IFS

Design and validation of a therapy program based on the internal family systems model and its efficacy on internet addiction Different treatment approaches only target internet addiction symptoms and do not address its cause. The internal family systems model is a non-pathological and experiential approach to treating disorders that deals with the cause instead of the symptoms. Still, there is a research gap in designing and validating a treatment program based on this approach and investigating its efficacy on Internet Addiction. This study aimed to design and validate a therapy program based....

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study

In December 2021, The Foundation for Self Leadership, our sister organization, proudly announced that its first funded, independently administered IFS study was accepted for publication in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. Below is an excerpt from the Foundation’s announcement: The grant-funded research was led by Hilary Hodgdon, PhD, at the Trauma Center, Justice Research Institute, in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. The study, which was an uncontrolled feasibility pilot, sought to assess the efficacy of IFS on patient outcomes. Among other findings, details of which are....

MDMA and PTSD STUDIES

Below is an excerpt from the 2019 edition of Internal Family Systems Therapy - 2nd Edition. Since 2008, Michael Mithoefer and his colleagues have been studying methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (called ecstasy on the street) in conjunction with psychotherapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). More than 1100 individuals have received MDMA in phase 1 or phase 2 clinical trials so far without any unexpected drug-related serious adverse events (Lancet, 2016, p. 4). Because of the remarkable success of these first two studies, phase 3 trials are now underway with a multi....

The Efficacy Of Internal Family Systems Therapy In The Treatment Of Depression Among Female College Students: A Pilot Study

Authors: Shelley A. Haddock, Lindsey M. Weiler, Lisa J. Trump, Kimberly L. Henry In 2016, Shelley Haddock and colleagues published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy ( Haddock, et al, 2016) a study that tested IFS as an alternative treatment for depressed female college students, “a significant portion of whom do not benefit” from the existing empirically supported treatments, which the authors list as “antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).” Subjects were randomly assigned to the IFS condition (n=17) and the treatment as....

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Treatment for PTSD and Comorbid Conditions: A Pilot Study

Authors: Hilary Hodgdon, Ph.D., Frank G. Anderson, M.D., Elizabeth Southwell, B.A., Wendy Hrubec, LICSW, Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. This pilot study had remarkable results. Of the thirteen subjects who were diagnosed with PTSD and completed the 16 sessions of IFS, only 1 still qualified for the diagnosis at the end of the study and at the one-month follow-up. That is, 92% of the participants no longer met the PTSD criteria, which translates into a huge effect size of -4.46. In addition, there were significant decreases in depression, affect dysregulation, dissociation, disrupted self-perception....

IFS Shown to Reduce Pain and Depression, and Improve Physical Function for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Results of Randomized Controlled Study Published in the Journal of Rheumatology August 15, 2013 – The results from a randomized controlled study, published recently in the Journal of Rheumatology, show that an IFS-based intervention had positive effects on patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), reducing pain and depressive symptoms, while improving physical function and self-compassion. The study was the first randomized control trial of its kind conducted to assess the efficacy of IFS on patient outcomes Dr. Nancy Shadick, from the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital at....

IFS Scale

The IFS Scale is a personality scale based on the Internal Family Systems Model. It is the product of an extensive research project conducted by Ms. DeLand in collaboration with Richard Schwartz, and has proven to be an effective tool for the IFS practitioner. The scale is available via an online website to trained IFS clinicians for a fee of $9.99 per use. Here is the link to the website: http://www.ifs-scale.com If you have any questions please feel free to email Lia DeLand directly at [email protected]. Information Regarding the IFS Scale Overview: This is a 57-item scale ( a = .98; item....

IFS Glossary of Terms

Balance: A state in which members of a human system have equitable access to the responsibilities, resources, and influence they need. Blending: When the feelings and beliefs of one part merge with another part or with the Self Burdens: Extreme ideas or feelings that are carried by parts and govern their lives. Parts accrue burdens from exposure to an external person or event. Constraining Environment: A human system's environment that is characterized by imbalance, polarization, enmeshment, and problematic leadership. Constraining environments impose burdens on the systems within them. Direct....

IFS Bibliography, APA Style

To submit new or missing works to this list - please email [email protected] BOOKS Anderson, F.G. (2021). Transcending trauma: Healing complect PTSD with internal family systems. Claire, WI: PESI Publishing. Anderson, F.G., Sweezy, M., & Schwartz, R.C. (2017). Internal family systems skills training manual: Trauma-informed treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD & substance abuse. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing. Barbera, M. (2008). B ring yourself to love: How couples can turn disconnection into intimacy. Boston, MA: Dos Monos Press. Breunlin, D.C., Schwartz, R.C., & MacKune-Karrer, B.....