Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Students in Schools: A Comparative Meta-Analysis of the U.S. and Chinese Literature

Objective: We analyzed the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) as a school-based intervention by synthesizing and comparing results from studies conducted in the United States and China. Method: To achieve a rigorous analysis, our search followed the Cochrane guidelines. Fifty studies—containing 246 effect size estimates and 2,921 participants—were included in the review. Data on study and intervention characteristics were extracted using a predefined coding sheet. Analysis involved calculation of Hedges’ g effect sizes; we also used robust variance estimation in meta-regression to estimate an overall treatment effect and conduct moderator analyses. Results: Combining both U.S. and Chinese studies, the overall treatment effect size estimate of SFBT for student outcomes was d 5 0.176, p < .001. The treatment effect of SFBT for student outcomes was significantly greater compared to waitlist controls (d 5 1.690, p < .01) but was not significantly different than treatment as usual (d 5 0.140, p < .05) or alternative interventions (d 5 0.103, p 5 .504). Conclusions: These findings add to the body of literature on SFBT’s effectiveness for student outcomes. Given empirical evidence from both U.S. and Chinese studies, SFBT demonstrates promise as a mental health intervention for school-based therapists.