Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 184

John Weisz and colleagues (2017) used meta-analysis to examine the effects of psychotherapy on children and adolescents. Recall that meta-analysis is a statistical technique in which researchers combine the results of many studies into a single metric called an effect size (ES). The effect size reflects the difference between children who receive treatment and children in the control group (Del Re & Fluckiger, 2018).

Their meta-analysis combined the results of 447 studies involving 30,431 youths conducted over the past 50 years. The overall effect of psychotherapy on youths’ outcomes immediately after treatment was medium in magnitude (ES = .46). Youths who participated in therapy showed approximately one-half standard deviation better functioning than youths in the control group (Figure 4.7).

The effect of psychotherapy on youths’ outcomes approximately 1 year after treatment was a bit lower (ES = .36) but still significant. Even 1 year after treatment, the functioning of youths who participated in therapy was one-third standard deviation better than youths who did not receive treatment.

The effect of therapy on children’s functioning also depended on the nature of children’s presenting problem. Therapy worked best for children with anxiety disorders but was somewhat less efficacious for children with depression. Moreover, therapies that targeted multiple problems simultaneously had a small effect on children’s outcomes. This is concerning given that children who are referred to therapy often have multiple problems that merit treatment.

Description

Figure 4.7 ■ Does Child Psychotherapy Work?

Note: Overall, therapy has a medium effect on children’s functioning after treatment (ES = .46) and approximately 1 year later (ES = .36). The effect of therapy also depends on the nature of children’s problems. Based on Weisz and colleagues (2017).