We evaluated the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) for treating symptoms of internalizing disorders with youth and adults across 26 between-group studies representing the data of 2,968 participants. Separate meta-analytic procedures for studies implementing waitlist/no treatment (n ¼ 1,342) or alternative treatments (n ¼ 1,626) yielded modest effect sizes for SFBT when treating internalizing disorders. Limitations of our findings and implications for counselors are discussed.
The reporting effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of ESs has become recommended practice in the social sciences; however, these values are frequently omitted by authors in manuscripts submitted for publication. Consequently, the meaningfulness and clinical relevance of their findings go unaddressed. As a result, a growing number of scholarly journals now require researchers to incorporate findings of clinical significance in their reporting of results. In this article, we review the most common conventions used for estimating and reporting ESs and CIs of ESs and illustrate how researchers can compute and interpret these measures of practical significance.
Publishing rigorous research is a critical task for advancing the field of counseling, ensuring effective client services, and can serve as a means of advocacy. Writing publishable manuscripts is a skill that develops over time. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for writing rigorous research papers for publication in counseling journals. We describe considerations for each section of the manuscript as well as pitfalls for authors to avoid. We conclude by describing the importance of disseminating one's work to the intended audience.
Among a sample of 196 participants, small differences in holistic client functioning, as measured by standardized Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (Lyons & Walton, 1999) and symptom severity scores, emerged across 3 diagnostic categories of serious mental illness (SMI; i.e., depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia). However, sizable variations in symptom severity were evident across diagnoses of SMI, despite study participants receiving a similar configuration and intensity of recovery‐oriented usual‐care services. These results may evidence previous concerns surrounding the transdiagnosis of SMI, overlapping criteria and symptomatology among disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and mental health treatment and service practices in the United States. Implications for counselor practice are discussed.
It is a pleasure to introduce this special DSM-5 edition of The Professional Counselor, which provides a solid primer regarding changes in the DSM-5 diagnosis process and how these changes will likely impact mental health professionals. Changes within the DSM-5 have prompted counselors to revisit the basics of diagnosis and consider the cessation of certain conventions (e.g., the multiaxial system) and what these changes mean to counselors as they perform their vital work for the benefit of clients. The unprecedented inclusion of various mental health professionals in the development of the DSM-5 is an inherent recognition of how this tool is being used across a wide range of professional disciplines that focus on psychopathology. I hope these articles not only inform, but encourage further research into the practical use of the DSM-5, "stimulate new clinical perspectives" in mental illness (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013, p. 10), and inspire continued professional dialogue around DSM nosology and the diagnostic processes.
The exploration of nonlinear relationships in counseling offers the opportunity to explore associations among variables from a humanistic perspective. Data on 75 adolescents admitted to crisis residence demonstrate the nonlinear association between the working alliance and therapeutic goal attainment. Implications of this research are addressed.
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