Nice Guidelines

NICE Guidelines

The recommendations for couple and family therapies can be found in the Summary of Family Interventions recommended and reviewed in NICE Guidelines. These are usually for England and Wales, but when Ireland or Scotland are included, this is mentioned. Scotland uses SIGN guidelines which are accessible on www.sign.ac.uk.

Models of systemic therapies are recommended for children and young people or for adults when there is a strong evidence base that fits with NICE criteria. Guidelines suggest the inclusion of carers / families / parents when the value of this is recognised but the evidence does not fit with the criteria. Family therapy is recommended for children and young people with depression, anorexia nervosa, PTSD self harm and diabetes, but the most cost effective systemic treatments are for children and young people with alcohol problems and as preventative interventions for antisocial behaviour disorder. For adults, Behavioural Couple Therapies are recommended for depression and alcohol dependence, and Family interventions for schizophrenia.

Comments from AFT on consultations during 2009-10 :

• CG          Alcohol Dependence and harmful Use
• CG          Anxiety
• CG          Depression (update)
• CG          Pregnancy and Complex Social factors
• QSD       Quality Standards: Depression in adults
• PH          Looked After Children
• PH          Preventing Obesity – whole systems approach
• PH          Social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable pre-
  school children: home-based

If you would like to contribute to any topic in forthcoming consultations, the details of the topics can be found on Updated time scales for NICE guidelines, and please contact Sue Kennedy and let her know the topic that interests you: s.kennedy@aft.org.uk.

The latest Guidelines and consultations are on the NICE website http://nice.org.uk, where you can also find the responses from NICE to comments.

 SIGN Guidelines (from Scotland).

Although SIGN reviews research evidence, recommendationsfor couple and family therapies are not toospecific, and they have 'Recommended Practice' from clincial experience. Evidence from couple and family therapy has led to recommendations for ‘psychosocial interventions’ for Bipolar Affective Disorder, to including the family in Post Natal depression and Puerperal Psychosis and Family Intervention Programmes for Schizophrenia. Recommended Practice mentions Couple-focused therapy for depression and including family members for Post Natal Depression and Puerperal Psychosis.

•                 AFT response to Depression

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