50 years of rational‐emotive and cognitive‐behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objective Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), introduced by Albert Ellis in the late 1950s, is one of the main pillars of cognitive‐behavioral therapy. Existing reviews on REBT are overdue by 10 years or more. We aimed to summarize the effectiveness and efficacy of REBT since its beginnings an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical psychology 2018-03, Vol.74 (3), p.304-318
Main Authors: David, Daniel, Cotet, Carmen, Matu, Silviu, Mogoase, Cristina, Stefan, Simona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior modification
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - history
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - statistics & numerical data
Cognitive therapy
Critical Reviews
efficacy
Emotions
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
irrational beliefs
Meta-analysis
Outcome Assessment, Health Care - statistics & numerical data
rational beliefs
REBT
Review
Systematic review
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Summary:Objective Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), introduced by Albert Ellis in the late 1950s, is one of the main pillars of cognitive‐behavioral therapy. Existing reviews on REBT are overdue by 10 years or more. We aimed to summarize the effectiveness and efficacy of REBT since its beginnings and investigate the alleged mechanisms of change. Method Systematic search identified 84 articles, out of which 68 provided data for between‐group analyses and 39 for within‐group analyses. Results We found a medium effect size of REBT compared to other interventions on outcomes (d = 0.58) and on irrational beliefs (d = 0.70), at posttest. For the within‐group analyses, we obtained medium effects for both outcomes (d = 0.56) and irrational beliefs (d = 0.61). Several significant moderators emerged. Conclusion REBT is a sound psychological intervention. Directions for future studies are outlined, stemming from the limitations of existing ones.
ISSN:0021-9762
1097-4679
DOI:10.1002/jclp.22514