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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on September 14, 2007
British Journal of Social Work 2009 39(2):234-242; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm098
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

A Review of the Research on Solution-Focused Therapy

Jacqueline Corcoran and Vijayan Pillai

Dr. Jacqueline Corcoran is an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, where she teaches Direct Practice, Human Behavior, and Research. Her books include Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis in Social Work Practice (Oxford, 2006, with Joseph Walsh), Cognitive-Behavioral Methods for Social Workers: A Workbook (Allyn Bacon, 2006), Building Strengths and Skills: A Collaborative Approach to Working with Clients (Oxford, 2004), Clinical Applications of Evidence-Based Family Interventions (Oxford, 2003), and Evidence-Based Social Work Practice with Families: A Lifespan Approach (Springer, 2000).

Dr. Vijayan Pillai is director of the Ph.D, program in social work at the University of Texas- Arlington. He obtained his PhD in Sociology from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and MSW from Indore School of Social Work, Indore. He has published several articles on the relationship between women’s rights and reproductive health at a cross national level in developing countries. He is currently working on a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of family planning programs in developing countries in reducing fertility levels.

Correspondence to Jacqueline Corcoran, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work, 6295 Edsall Road, Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22312, USA. E-mail: jcorcora{at}vcu.edu


  Abstract

Solution-focused therapy is a strengths-based approach, emphasizing the resources people invariably possess and how these can be applied to the change process. A review was undertaken on the treatment outcome research involving solution-focused therapy to determine empirically its effectiveness. The review involved experimental or quasi-experimental designs conducted from 1985 to 2006 and was limited to published studies written in the English language. Subject, intervention and methodological information on studies were collected, as well as statistical information necessary to calculate effect sizes. After searching the literature, ten studies were located and described. No particular characteristics emerged regarding studies with high versus low effect sizes. Implications for research are advanced based on the review, especially related to social work practice.

Keywords: solution-focused therapy, strengths-based, treatment outcome


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