Efficacy of Counseling and Psychotherapy in Schools: A Meta-Analytic Review of Treatment Outcome Studies 1Ψ7

This study investigated the efficacy of counseling and psychotherapy interventions for youth in schools. Data were examined for 107 studies that included 132 treatment interventions. Overall efficacy was d = 0.45 and was significantly different from zero. Interventions for adolescents outperformed those of children, treatment groups that were predominately female or male did better than mixed-gender groups, and licensed professional therapists outperformed paraprofessionals, who outperformed graduate students. Implications for supporting the mental health needs of youth in schools are discussed.