THE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY: A PERSPECTIVE FROM META-ANALYSIS

This article reviews the major findings from a multiproject meta‐analysis of the effects of marital and family therapy (MFT). Across 163 randomized trials, MFT demonstrates moderate, statistically significant, and often clinically significant effects. No orientation is yet demonstrably superior to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marital and family therapy 1995-10, Vol.21 (4), p.345-360
Main Authors: Shadish, William R., Ragsdale, Kevin, Glaser, Renita R., Montgomery, Linda M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Alcohol Abuse
Communication Problems
Control Groups
Coping
Cost analysis
Data Analysis
Delinquency
Effect Size
Family counseling
Family Problems
Literature Reviews
Marriage counseling
Meta Analysis
Modeling (Psychology)
Outcome Measures
Problem Solving
Psychology
Psychotherapy
Resistance (Psychology)
Statistical Significance
Substance Abuse
Systematic review
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Summary:This article reviews the major findings from a multiproject meta‐analysis of the effects of marital and family therapy (MFT). Across 163 randomized trials, MFT demonstrates moderate, statistically significant, and often clinically significant effects. No orientation is yet demonstrably superior to any other, nor is MFT superior to individual therapy. Cost effectiveness information is scant in these 163 studies, but supportive. Randomized experiments yield very different answers from nonrandomized experimental studies of the effects of MFT, calling into question whether we should mix the two in reviews. We have also found several new differences in the ways that marital therapy (MT) and family therapy (FT) studies are conducted, making them harder to compare. Finally, important questions still exist about whether any psychotherapy, including MFT, yet has sufficient information about how well research generalizes to everyday clinical practice.
ISSN:0194-472X
1752-0606
DOI:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1995.tb00170.x