[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Strong Studies ] [ Moderate Studies ] [ Weak Studies ]

Search

The following studies approach the level experimental control used in efficacy studies. Thus, we can have relatively high confidence in their specific findings (internal validity), but because of the rigorous controls used we are less certain that their findings generalize to "ordinary day-to-day practice."

 

Sundstrom, S. M. (1993). Single-sesssion psychotherapy for depression: Is it better to focus on problems or solutions? Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.

Compares a single session of SFBT to a single session of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT) for the treatment of depressed college students (n=40). 

Both treatment conditions produced significant positive change on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Depression Adjective Checklists. Neither treatment produced significantly better outcomes than the other. 

LaFountain, R. M., & Garner, N. E. (1996). Solution-focused counseling groups: The results are in. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 21(2), 128-143.

Investigated the impact of solution-focused groups (SFG) on school age children via school counselors. Fifty-seven counselors were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions, and served a total of 311 elementary, middle, and high school students. Experimental group counselors provided 8 weekly SFG sessions to a selected group of students. Control group counselors did not provide any type of group counseling to their students. 

Modest but statistically significant between-group differences were found on 3  sub-scales of the Index of Personality Characteristics: Nonacademic, Perception of Self, and Acting In. According to the authors, these differences suggest that students in the experimental group had higher self-esteem in nonacademic arenas; more positive attitudes and feelings about themselves; and more appropriate ways of coping with emotions.

Zimmerman, T. S., Jacobsen, R. B., MacIntyre, M., & Watson, C. (1996). Solution-focused parenting groups: An empirical study. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 15(4), 12-25.

Evaluates the effects of a solution-focused parenting group on parenting skills and perceived family strengths. Parents were recruited through a newspaper advertisement and were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 30) or wait-list control (n = 12) condition. The five experimental parenting groups, each composed of 6-8 parents, met weekly for six 30-minute sessions. 

Direct comparisons of the post-test scores of the SFBT and wait-list groups revealed statistically significant (t-test) differences for Parenting Skills Inventory total scores and sub-scales: Role Image, Rapport, Communication, and Limit Setting. The SFBT group showed significant change for the Role Image, Objectivity, Communication, and Limit Setting sub-scales. The wait-list group showed significant change for only the Role Support sub-scale.

Cockburn, J. T., Thomas, F. N., & Cockburn, O. J. (1997). Solution-focused therapy and psychosocial adjustment to orthopedic rehabilitation in a work hardening program. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 7(2), 97-106.

Evaluates the impact of SFBT conjoint marital sessions on psychosocial adjustment and return to work for patients with orthopedic injuries. Sample consisted of 48 patients and their spouses referred by an orthopedic surgeon to a rehab program designed to prepare patients for work re-entry. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups following a Solomon Four Groups design. Intervention consisted of 6 weekly one-hour sessions of SFBT plus the standard rehab program. Control groups received only the standard rehab program. 

Treatment subjects scored significantly higher than control subjects on 3 sub-scales of the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale. Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale - Self-Report scores also showed significant differences. Within seven days after completion of treatment 68% of subjects in the treatment groups had returned to work compared to only 4% of subjects in the control groups. By 30 days after treatment 92% of the SFBT patients had returned to work compared to 47% of control group patients.

Lindforss, L., & Magnusson, D. (1997). Solution-focused therapy in prison. Contemporary Family Therapy, 19(1), 89-103.

Evaluated the effectiveness of a SFBT network intervention in reducing recidivism for prisoners incarcerated. Prisoners were randomly assigned to a SFBT treatment group (N=30) or a control group (N=30). Treatment was provided by a team consisting of a project leader and two family therapists, and lasted for an average of five sessions.

At 12 months after release prisoners in the treatment group had a recidivism rate of 53% compared to 76% for the control group. At 16 months recidivism rates increased to 60% for the experimental group and 86% for the control group, and differences remained statistically significant. In addition, the seriousness of recidivist offenses and length of resulting sentences was less for the SFBT group than the control group. 

Seagram, B. C. (1997). The efficacy of solution-focused therapy with young offenders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, York University, New York, Ontario.

Studied the efficacy of SFBT for improving attitudes and behaviors, and reducing antisocial thinking and behavior in adolescent offenders in a secure facility for youthful offenders. The sample consisted of 40 youths alternately assigned to the treatment (N = 21) or control (N = 19) condition. Eighty-five percent of the sample had a history of violent behavior, 90% were repeat offenders, and 65% were currently incarcerated for a violent crime. Treatment consisted of 10 weekly SFBT sessions, and was offered in addition to the standard services provided by the institution. 

Carlson Psychological Survey data indicated The treatment group had significantly more optimism for the future, greater empathy, fewer antisocial tendencies, and less chemical abuse (Carlson Psychological Survey), and less difficulty with concentration (Achenbach). Within a 6-month follow-up period, 4 (20%) members of the treatment group vs. 8 (42%) members of the control group had re-offended (run away or were moved from open to secure custody).

Hopefulness Among Depressed Clients

Bozeman, B. N. (1999). The efficacy of solution-focused therapy techniques on perceptions of hope in clients with depressive symptoms. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA.

Evaluated the impact of SFBT on depression and hopefulness in two outpatient mental health settings. The sample consisted of 52 subjects randomly assigned to SFBT or the comparison (past-focused counseling) group. All subjects scored 72 or lower on the Nowotny Hope Scale, and 16 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory. SFBT consisted of 3 sessions.

Hope scores increased significantly more in the SFBT group than in the comparison group. The Beck Depression scores of SFBT subjects did not significantly decrease, however.

 

	Sundstrom, 1993	LaFountain et al., 1996	Zimmerman et al.,1996	Cockburn et al., 1997	Lindforss et al., 1997	Seagram, 1997	Bozeman 1999
Subjects/ Problem
Setting	university	elem. – high school	university clinic	orthopedic rehab.	prison	secure custody	mental health
Sample size	40	311	42	48	59	40	52
Problem	depression	unspecified	parent-child conflict	orthopedic injury	criminal behavior	delinquent offences	depression
Select. criteria?	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes	yes
Demographics	all female ave age: 19	53% male; elem. – high school age	36% male; ave age: 41	58% male; ave. age: 37	all male	all male; age 16-19	ave.age 38; 33 female; 22 Afr-Amer
Intervention
# SFBT core conditions	2,3,5,7	2,3,5,7	2,4,7	2,5	2,4,7	2,3,4,5,6,7	2,3,4,7
Modality	individual	group	group	couple	network	individual	individual
# sessions	1	8	6	6	1-12	10	3
Treat. manual	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	yes
Monitored?	yes	no	yes	no	no	yes	no
Therapist experience	varied; newly trained in SFBT	counselors; newly trained in SFBT	trainees; newly trained in SFBT	not reported	not reported	advanced student	masters degree; 1+ years exper.
Design
Type	pre/post-test comparison group	pre/post-test comparison group	pre/post-test control group	Solomon 4 group	post-test only control group	pre/post-test control group	pre/post-test comparison group
Randomized?	yes	no	no	yes	yes	matched	yes
Comparison group	prob-focused; interpersonal therapy	standard counseling groups	wait-list	standard rehab treatment	standard institutional services	standard institutional services	standard therapy
Outcomes/ Results
Measures used – end of treatment outcome	Beck Depr. Inv.; Depr. Adject. Checklist Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale	Index of Personality Chara. – sig. between group differences on 3 of 8 scales; Counselor reports – 81% achieved goals	Parenting Skills Inventory – sig. between group differences on 4 of 8 scales; Family Strengths Assess. – no sig. between group diffs.	F-COPES –sig. between group differences on all 5 scales; PAIS-R – sig between group differences on 4 of 5 scales	recidivism (new offense with return to probation or prison)	multiple (Jesness; Coopersmith; Carlson; SF Quest.) – tmt s’s had sig. lower chem. abuse tend., higher empathy, greater prob. solving, higher optimism	Beck Depr. Inventory; Nowotny Hope Scale – tmt s’s improved sig. more on Hope; no sig. diff. on Beck Depr.
Followup	7-10 days – both groups sig. improved on BDI and DAC; no sig. between group differences on any measures	none	none	7 & 60 days –68% tmt s’s vs. 4% control s’s returned to work in less than 7 days	12 months – 53% tmt s’s vs. 76% control s’s recidivated; 16 months – 60% tmt vs. 86% control recidivated	6 months – 20% tmt vs. 42% control recidivated	none

[ Strong Studies ] [ Moderate Studies ] [ Weak Studies ]

Last  updated:  11/29/07
webmaster@gingerich.net