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Michael.C.Fitzgerald@usm.edu University of Southern Mississippi, Box #5035 207 Joseph Greene Hall 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39406.
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Abstract
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an effective model of psychotherapy. The central concept of IFS is the Self, characterized by compassion, calm, and courage. The Self is theorized to reduce adult mental health problems and strengthen intimate relationships. The current study examined the associations between Self-Leadership and adult symptoms of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and dissociation as well as relational outcomes including positive relationship quality, negative relationship quality, and attributions. Results indicate that Self Leadership was uniquely associated with of all mental and relational health outcomes. Helping clients increase Self Leadership can reduce mental health symptoms and strengthen adult intimate relationships.
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This study sampled 303 adults at two universities in the US, one in the South and one in the Midwest. Researchers examined the association between Self-Leadership and adult depression, anxiety, dissociation, sleep disturbances, positive relationship quality, negative relationship quality, and attributions. Results show the higher the self-leadership, the lower the anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and dissociation, as well as more benign attributions, greater positive relationship quality, and less negative relationship quality. Researchers will be interested in this study's methods and results as an example of an IFS study examining important clinical outcomes. There are few studies of IFS at present, and this was a large sample with many variables examined. Limitations of the study include it being a cross-sectional study, which only allows for correlation, not causation in research outcomes. The sample was predominantly college women. Finally, participants provided only self-reports of their Self-Leadership, and people tend to overestimate the amount of their Self-Leadership. Still, this is an important contribution to the research base of IFS.