Effectiveness of school‐based psychotherapy: A meta‐analysis of dissertation research

Abstract

A meta-analysis was conducted with 65 school-based psychotherapy and counseling dissertations over the last 10 years (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008) to assess if a file-drawer problem (i.e., studies conducted but not published that, as a whole, have different results than studies in the same area published) exists in the school-based outcome literature. An overall mean effect size of 0.44 was found for 73 treatment interventions. This effect size is comparable to Prout and DeMartino's 1986 metaanalysis conducted with published school-based studies and approximately half a standard deviation smaller than Prout and Prout's 1998 meta-analysis of school-based intervention studies. A bias does appear to exist but seems to be smaller than the bias found in the general child and adolescent psychotherapy outcome literature. Most of the dissertation studies evaluated group interventions and used a cognitive-behavioral or skills training intervention. Skills training and interventions with elementary-school students yielded the largest effect sizes. Comparisons of the current study with previous school-based intervention meta-analyses are discussed as are suggestions for future research. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The effectiveness of counseling and psychotherapy has been a much debated and much researched topic. Smith and Glass (1977) published the first major meta-analysis of psychotherapy outcome studies, and their study has spawned numerous subsequent meta-analyses. In fact, metaanalysis is widely used as a summative quantitative review method for a broad range of social science, medical, and educational disciplines. The typical approach for meta-analysis in psychotherapy outcome research is to compare an experimental treatment group at the conclusion of an intervention with a control group, calculating an effect size (ES) using standard deviations (SDs) of the groups. Although there are variations for analysis, the ES values are pooled across studies to yield a measure of improvement or gain in treated groups. Additionally, the typical approach in meta-analysis has been to primarily use published studies for the base of analysis.There have been numerous meta-analyses of child/adolescent psychotherapy outcomes. There have been general meta-analyses of child outcomes (e.g.,

A Meta‐Analytic Review of Child‐Centered Play Therapy Approaches

“…Upon initial observation (see Table 1), the finding of a moderate overall mean effect size in this study appears consistent with the findings from two recent meta-analyses of child-counseling interventions (Huey & Polo, 2008;Reese et al, 2010) and discrepant with the results from the majority of older meta-analytic reviews of intervention outcomes for children Casey & Berman, 1985;Kazdin et al, 1990;LeBlanc & Ritchie, 2001;Weisz et al, 1987). However, we found it difficult to make a direct comparison between the results of the present study and previous meta-analyses because of differences in the formulas used to calculate individual effect sizes and in the methodology used to estimate overall mean effect sizes.…”

“…The overall average effect sizes they found were .66 (LeBlanc & Ritchie, ) and .80 (Bratton et al, ). Recently, two meta‐analyses (Huey & Polo, ; Reese, Prout, Zirkelback, & Anderson, ), based on studies dated from 1976 to 2008, revealed moderate overall treatment effects for child counseling (both average effect sizes = .44).…”

“…The overall average effect sizes they found were .66 (LeBlanc & Ritchie, 2001) and .80 . Recently, two meta-analyses (Huey & Polo, 2008;Reese, Prout, Zirkelback, & Anderson, 2010), based on studies dated from 1976 to 2008, revealed moderate overall treatment effects for child counseling (both average effect sizes = .44). Government reports over the past decade identified the critical need to identify empirically based interventions for young children (President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003;U.S.…”

The Provision of Counseling Services Among School Psychologists: An Exploration of Training, Current Practices, and Perceptions

“…Reese, Prout, Zirkelback, and Anderson () also reported evidence for the effectiveness of school‐based psychotherapy and counseling‐based interventions across several outcomes. In their review of 65 dissertations completed from 1998 through 2008, individual and group modalities were shown to be particularly effective in addressing students’ mental health needs (Reese et al., ). Collectively, these findings clearly indicate that school‐based mental health services convey benefits for students across multiple outcome measures.…”

Relationship in context: Processes in school‐based counselling in Hong Kong

“…Fedewa et al () conclude that counselling leads to reductions in externalising problems, stress and internalising problems, and a more positive self‐concept. Hanley and Noble () report that counselling helps about 75% of young people, with medium effect sizes being reported in the literature (Baskin et al, ; Reese, Prout, Zirkelback, & Anderson, ). Relatively little, however, is known about the processes taking place in counselling with adolescents which lead to positive outcomes, and a more methodologically diverse evidence base which explores young people’s experience and reflects the complexity and diversity of counselling practice with adolescent clients is needed (Donald et al, ).…”