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Solution‐focused Couples Therapy Groups: An Empirical Study
Author(s) -
Zimmerman Toni Schindler,
Prest Layne A.,
Wetzel Barbara E.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6427.00044
Subject(s) - psychology , clinical psychology , treatment and control groups , solution focused brief therapy , test (biology) , empirical research , group psychotherapy , scale (ratio) , psychotherapist , medicine , paleontology , philosophy , physics , epistemology , pathology , quantum mechanics , biology
The professional literature contains numerous theoretical and case study articles regarding the development and use of solution‐focused therapy. However, as with many models of systems‐oriented therapy in use with couples, very little has been subjected to empirical investigation. This project was designed to make a contribution to the empirical literature regarding the effectiveness of solution‐focused therapy in use with couples’ groups. This study utilized pre‐test comparisons of treatment and comparison groups, and examined pre‐ to post‐test changes in the scores of the treatment group couples. Twenty‐three treatment group couples participated in a six‐week solution‐focused couples therapy (SFCT) group. A separate group of thirteen couples served as a comparison group. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) was used to assess changes in the couples’ relationships. Scores on the Marital Status Inventory (MSI), as a pre‐test measure indicating the couples’ likelihood of divorce, indicated no significant differences between groups. The remaining analyses revealed significant improvement in DAS scores. Self‐reports from the couples involved indicate improvement in a variety of areas after completing the six‐week solution‐focused couples group therapy process.