Demographics and treatment of the American family

Abstract

There have been numerous changes to the US family over the past several decades. Traditional family roles have changed, and the conception of what Americans consider a 'family' has likewise shifted with differing societal views regarding gender, gender roles, race, and ethnicity. This review examines demographics of the American family as well as a number of family therapies that have been historically and are presently used to treat family problems. We expect that with the changes present in US society, family therapies will need to continue to be sensitive and adaptive to these shifts in order to be effective. © 2012 Institute of Psychiatry.