@article{ref1,
title="Does psychotherapy work with school-aged youth? A meta-analytic examination of moderator variables that influence therapeutic outcomes",
journal="Journal of school psychology",
year="2016",
author="Fedewa, Alicia L. and Ahn, Soyeon and Reese, Robert J. and Suarez, Marietta M. and Macquoid, Ahjane and Davis, Matthew C. and Prout, H. Thompson",
volume="56",
number="",
pages="59-87",
abstract="The present study is a quantitative synthesis of the available literature to investigate the efficacy of psychotherapy for children's mental health outcomes. In particular, this study focuses on potential moderating variables-study design, treatment, client, and therapist characteristics-that may influence therapeutic outcomes for youth but have not been thoroughly accounted for in prior meta-analytic studies. An electronic search of relevant databases resulted in 190 unpublished and published studies that met criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Effect sizes differed by study design. Pre-post-test designs resulted in absolute magnitudes of treatment effects ranging from |-0.02| to |-0.76| while treatment versus control group comparison designs resulted in absolute magnitudes of treatment effects ranging from |-0.14| to |-2.39|. Changes in youth outcomes larger than 20% were found, irrespective of study design, for outcomes focused on psychosomatization (29% reduction), school attendance (25% increase), and stress (48% reduction). The magnitude of changes after psychotherapy ranged from 6% (externalizing problems) to 48% (stress). Several moderator variables significantly influenced psychotherapy treatment effect sizes, including frequency and length of treatment as well as treatment format. However, results did not support the superiority of a single type of intervention for most outcomes. Implications for therapy with school-aged youth and future research are discussed.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-4405",
doi="10.1016/j.jsp.2016.03.001",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2016.03.001"
}