THE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MARITAL AND FAMILY-THERAPY - A PERSPECTIVE FROM METAANALYSIS

This article reviews the major findings from a multiproject meta-analy sis of the effects of marital and family therapy (MFT). Across 163 ran domized trials, MFT demonstrates moderate, statistically significant, and often clinically significant effects. No orientation is yet demons trably superior to any other, nor is MFT superior to individual therap y. Cost effectiveness information is scant in these 163 studies, but s upportive. Randomized experiments yield very different answers from no nrandomized experimental studies of the effects of MFT, calling into q uestion whether we should mix the two in reviews. We have also found s everal new differences in the ways that marital therapy (MT) and famil y therapy (FT) studies are conducted, making them harder to compare. F inally, important questions still exist about whether any psychotherap y, including MFT, yet has sufficient information about how well resear ch generalizes to everyday clinical practice.