What Works for Whom?, First Edition: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research

Since those who ultimately pay for treatment and those who receive treatment are us--the public at large--it is surprising and regrettable that the demand for greater accountability in services has peaked only now.....We would profit immensely from a thorough, balanced, and incisive review of how research might guide clinical services. This book provides that review. --From the Foreword by Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, Yale University

Just as psychotherapy research led the way 20 years ago with the development and application of systematic reviews, so now it may be ahead of other fields in its critical appreciation of the limits of current empirical methods and its creative initiation of new ways to build a scientific base for clinical practice. If such is the judgment of future commentators, much of the credit for this will belong to Anthony Roth, Peter Fonagy, and their colleagues for this truly monumental book. --From the Foreword by David A. Shapiro, PhD, University of Leeds, UK

I want to congratulate you [the authors] and all those involved on an impressive piece of work. The overall quality is excellent. The tone is evenhanded and conveys a commitment to empiricism that is essential in the current political and social climate. I was also impressed with the authors' straightforwardness and 'neutrality' (in the best sense of the word) in drawing conclusions and making recommendations. I have seen and heard many discussions of these issues that are considerably more ideological or doctrinaire and considerably less useful for that reason. I think the manuscript will find a wide readership when published. --Paul A. Pilkonis, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

The presentation is balanced and cautious throughout....This volume will be useful to a range of readers. For the clinician wishing to inform his or her practice with demonstrably effective treatments, it identifies the specific types of therapies that have been found useful for patients diagnosed with specific disorders. The psychotherapy researcher will appreciate the compilation of empirical studies on a range of disorders and may also profit from the authors' highlighting of therapies that are widely used but underresearched. The volume would also serve well as a text for graduate courses in therapeutic interventions. --Douglas A. Vakoch, PhD, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

Comprehensive and thoughtful....this book is extremely valuable because it clearly and succinctly summarizes decades of research and presents a balanced approach to addressing questions related to outcome research....The book's comprehensiveness and clarity make it an excellent resource for those who want to learn about state-of-the-art outcome research without reading a large number of specialized articles....useful for students and clinicians who seek familiarity with the research literature as well as for healthcare providers, economists, politicians, and others whose decisions will ultimately impact the delivery of therapy. --Ilana D. Krakauer and Jacques P. Barber, Psychotherapy Research

Peter Fonagy, PhD, is Freud Memorial Professor of Psychoanalysis at the University of London and Director of the Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology at University College London. He is Director of Research at the Anna Freud Centre, London, and Director of the Child and Family Center at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas. He is a clinical psychologist and a training and supervising analyst in the British Psycho-Analytical Society. His research interests include the study of the outcome of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and the impact of early parent-child relationships on personality development. He is the current Chair of the International Psychoanalytic Association's Standing Committee on Research, and serves on the Executive Council of the World Association of Infant Mental Health.