Solution-focused brief therapy for students in schools: A comparative meta-analysis of the English and Chinese literature

Abstract

Objective: This review analyzed the effectiveness of SFBT as a school-based intervention by synthesizing and comparing results from the English and Chinese literature. Method: In order to achieve a rigorous analysis, the search aligned with the Cochrane guidelines. Fifty studies, containing 246 effect size estimates and a total of 2,921 participants, were included in the review. Data on study and intervention characteristics were extracted using a pre-defined coding sheet. Analysis involved the calculation of Hedges’ g effect sizes and utilized Robust Variance Estimation in meta-regression to estimate an overall treatment effect and moderator analyses. Results: Combining both English and Chinese studies, an overall treatment effect size estimate of SFBT for student outcomes was d = 0.176, p < 0.001. The treatment effect of SFBT for student outcomes was significantly greater in comparison to waitlist control (d = 1.690, p < 0.01), but not significantly different than treatment-as-usual (d = 0.140, p < 0.05) or to alternative interventions (d = 0.103, p = 0.504). Conclusions: These findings add to the body of literature on SFBT’s effectiveness for student outcomes. Given empirical evidence from both English and Chinese studies, SFBT demonstrates promising efficacy as a mental health intervention for school-based therapists.