METAANALYTIC REVIEW OF MARITAL-THERAPY OUTCOME RESEARCH

This meta-analytic review examines the findings of 15 methodologically rigorous marital therapy outcome studies reported in 19 journal articles. These findings were used to assess the efficacy of three treatment approaches in fostering change in spouses' relationship-related behavior, cognitions, affect, and general assessment of their relationship. Behavioral marital therapy (BMT), cognitive-behavioral marital therapy (CBMT), and insight-oriented marital therapy (IOMT) were all found to be more effective than no treatment in bringing change in spouses' behavior and in the general assessment of their relationship. IOMT was more effective than BMT or CBMT in bringing change in spouses' general relationship assessment, while CBMT was the only approach that induced significant change in spouses' posttherapy relationship-related cognitions. The role of meta-analytic reviews of marital therapy approaches is also discussed.