Solution-focused brief therapy for common mental disorders in the light of empirically supported treatment revised criteria: a systematic review protocol

TL;DR

This paper outlines a systematic review protocol to assess the effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for common mental disorders.

Contribution

The study introduces a rigorous evaluation of SFBT's empirical status using updated treatment criteria.

Findings

The review will assess symptom reduction and psychosocial functioning in CMD patients.

It will evaluate the cost-effectiveness and mechanisms of change in SFBT.

Results may influence clinical guidelines and future research on mental health therapies.

Abstract

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term, goal-directed therapeutic approach widely used across diverse settings. While prior evidence supports its overall effectiveness, the empirical status of SFBT as a treatment for common mental disorders (CMD) remains unclear. This protocol outlines a systematic review aiming to evaluate the efficacy, effectiveness, mechanisms of change, and cost-effectiveness of SFBT in the treatment of CMD following the updated empirically supported treatment criteria.

A systematic search for recently published systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and high-quality non-randomized studies of intervention examining SFBT in adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with CMDs will be performed. Risk of bias and methodological quality will be assessed. Data selection, extraction, and rating will be conducted independently by at least two reviewers.

Primary outcomes include symptom reduction in CMD; secondary outcomes encompass, among other improvements in psychosocial functioning and remission rates. Additional outcomes involve cost-effectiveness, adverse effects, and evidence for mechanisms of change. Meta-analysis and narrative synthesis will be performed when appropriate.

The rigorous assessment of SFBT empirical status in the context of CMD can potentially influence recommendations for clinical practice, guideline development, and future research.