The purpose of this study is to elucidate the qualities of family systems that are more capable of solving problems. In this study, we applied the schema of Integrated Information Theory (IIT), which explains the phenomenon of consciousness, to family research and tested the following hypothesis: higher symmetry leads to greater problem-solving ability in more communicative couples. We understood the couple's difference from the symmetry of their communication, and the couple's interaction from how much they communicate. We also distinguished between ordinary and problem contexts when investigating the difference and interaction in couples. The questionnaire survey was conducted to 312 married respondents (156 males, 156 females; average age 45.18 years). We took the couple's problem-solving ability as a dependent variable, and communication score, symmetry score, and an interaction term for both scores as independent variables, and performed hierarchical regression analysis for both ordinary and problem contexts respectively. As a result of this analysis, it was shown that, in ordinary contexts: (1) greater symmetry means greater solution-oriented attitude in more communicative couples; and (2) relationship-maintaining attitude is greater in more communicative and complementary couples. It was also shown that, in problem contexts: (1) solution-oriented attitude is greater in more communicative couples; and (2) complementary means greater relationship-maintaining attitude in more communicative couples. In the future, it will be necessary to test the hypothesis having controlled for the nature of the problem.

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Post-divorce parental disclosures(P-DPD), in which parents tell their children about their ex-spouse after a divorce, has an impact on the parent–child relationship. Previous research has assumed that P-DPD is negative. The present study aimed to develop a parental disclosure scale that includes positive aspects. Additionally, we investigated the effects of parental disclosure on children’s mental health. Sixty-one Japanese participants who experienced parental divorce were asked to respond to the parental disclosure scale, as well as the parental affinity scale, mental health scale, and items on socio-demographic information. The results indicated that the factor structure of the P-DPD scale included 19 items and two factors. The P-DPD scale showed adequate internal reliability. Although positive parental disclosure did not directly affect children’s mental health, it indirectly improved mental health through the affinity to the live-in parent. Further, only in the group with interaction with the separated parent did negative parent disclosure increase the affinity for the separated parent. These results suggest that positive parental disclosure is important in Japan. The P-DPD scale that assessed both positive and negative aspects could be expected to be used to determine the quality of the parent– child relationships after divorce.

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The current study examined (a) the current status of eating problems (eating disorder tendencies: EDT) in Japanese adolescents and (b) the association between adolescent EDT and a family structure consisting of three dyadic subsystems (marital, father-adolescent, and mother-adolescent). Participants were 663 high school and university students (341 males and 322 females) in Japan who completed a self-report questionnaire. Survey results revealed that 19 out of 341 males (5.57%) and 53 out of 322 females (16.46%), or 72 out of 663 participants (10.86%) in the entire sample, were categorized as having EDT according to the EAT-26. The male-to-female ratio of participants with EDT was 1 to 2.8. Many of the female adolescents with lower EAT-26 scores had a highly cohesive family structure with a balance of power in all dyads. The current findings suggested that adolescent eating problems are related to an unbalanced family structure. The clinical implications of these findings for family therapy are discussed.

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COVID-19 is spreading all over the world, causing various social problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fear of COVID-19 on the coping behavior of university students. 300 Japanese university students responded to the questionnaire. The results indicated that those who had a high fear of COVID-19 and emphasized tuning into others were more likely to adopt the coping behaviors of avoidance of contact and stockpiling, while those who emphasized self-determination were more likely to adopt the coping behaviors of avoidance of contact and focus on health care.

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This is a case study of a high school boy who was chronically absent from school after being bullied in his extracurricular club. Consultations were conducted with IP and his mother over a period of three months until the boy returned to school after the seventh session. Solution construction and false solution patterns based on the double description model were effective in not creating “bad guys” at school or at home. This article summarizes the consultations and discusses methods that do not create “bad guy” players.

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