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Moderate Studies
Weak Studies

SFBT Controlled Outcome Studies

Gingerich and Eisengart have located 18 controlled outcome studies of SFBT reported in the literature through Summer, 2001. 

All studies meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) implemented solution-focused brief therapy, (2) employed some form of experimental control, (3) assessed client behavior or functioning, and (4) assessed outcomes at end-of-treatment or follow-up.

The solution-focused intervention includes one or more of the following components: (1)  search for pre-session change, (2) goal-setting, (3)  miracle question, (4)  scaling questions, (5)  search for exceptions, (6)  consulting break, and (7) a message including compliments and task.

Level of experimental control is judged according to the following standards: (1) uses a randomized group design or acceptable single-case design, (2) focuses on a specific, well-defined disorder, (3) compares SFBT with a standard reference treatment, placebo or no treatment, (4) uses treatment manuals and procedures for monitoring treatment adherence, (5) uses outcome measures with demonstrated reliability and validity, and (6) uses a sample large enough to reliably detect group differences. Studies are presented according to the level of experimental control employed:

• Strongly-controlled studies (n=7) meet 5 or 6 standards 
• Moderately-controlled studies (n=5) meet 4 standards 
• Weakly-controlled studies (n=6) meet 3 or fewer standards

Overall Summary:

• 17 of 18 studies reported client improvement; it was statistically significant in 10 studies
• 7 of the 11 studies that compared SFBT to a standard treatment reported SFBT > = standard treatment

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Last  updated:  03/11/09
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