What Works for Whom?: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research [Hardcover]

Anthony Roth University College London; Peter Fonagy University of London. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572301252 | ISBN-13: 978-1572301252 | Publication Date: August 2, 1996

This volume synthesizes information on the efficacy of the major models of psychotherapy for commonly encountered mental health problems. Maintaining a balance between empirical coniderations and the role of clinical judgement, the authors examine how research evidence can be used to improve the structure and planning of services to specific patient groups. The book is enhanced by a comprehensive disorder-by-disorder approach and careful attention to the methodological strengths and limitations of available research. The text should be of use to practitioners, students and researchers of clinical and counselling psychology, psychiatry and social work, as well as health care administrators and planners.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A valuable resource, and important reading for anyone interested in psychotherapy outcome! Patients entering psychotherapy have long been at the mercy of therapists who prescribe a single approach regardless of the problem. In a clear, rational review of the differential therapeutics of psychotherapy, What Works for Whom? offers useful guideposts for diagnosis-based treatment selection based on research findings. (An alternate title might be: What Works for Which Illnesses?) Clinicians, managed care health planners, and prospective patients should read this book!" --John C. Markowitz, MD, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center

"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

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Anthony Roth, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in the application of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions across the full range of client presentations. The focus of his clinical work has been with adults suffering mental health problems in both hospital and community settings. His research interests lie in the evaluation of psychological therapies and the application of research findings to clinical practice. He combines a clinical role in the National Health Service (UK) with an academic appointment at University College London, where he is Clinical Tutor with the Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 484 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press (August 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572301252
• ISBN-13: 978-1572301252
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best summary of psychotherapy research, January 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Works for Whom?: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research (Hardcover)

The book by Roth and Fonagy is a comprehensive and balanced summary of research on psychotherapy. Principly it covers outcome studies and is organised according to DSMIV diagnostic groups. It also covers a bit of process research, particularly the research on therapeutic alliance. There is much to recomnd the book: it is accurate, comprehensive, well written and balanced. It also offeres excellent summaries and impications ections at the end of each chapter. I don't know of a better summary of psychotherapy outcome research.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for graduate therapy course or as a teaching tool., November 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: What Works for Whom?: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research (Hardcover)

This book would lend itself well to a research oriented graduate course on clinical psychology and treatment. It is also an excellent resource for writing lectures. Practicing clinicians should find it invaluable. It is concise and synthesizes an extensive body of research well (with appropriate and useful references). Selling points include specifics on clinical description, prevalence, co-morbidity, and history for each disorder covered. Reviews (and summaries) of treatment efficacy are excellent. -W. Born

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a classic for both the student, seasoned researcher, clinician or high IQ consumer, August 30, 2008

By 

Robert M. Gordon, Ph.D. (allentown, pa USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What Works for Whom?, Second Edition: A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Research (Hardcover)

This book is scholarly but quite readable, so much so that an intelligent consumer of potential psychotherapy services would do well to read this book. There are chapters on depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, substance abuse, sexual disfunction, child and adolescent disorders, etc.
Unlike many books that advocate for a particular school of thought, "What works for whom?" is fair, scientific and useful. As a psychotherapist and a researcher, I consider it required reading for anyone who wants to understand the research behind many of the grandiose claims of symptom focused short term treatments.
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