Efficacy of rational emotive therapy (RET) with children: a critical re-appraisal.
Proponents of rational-emotive therapy (RET) advocate its use within the school curriculum to forestall future maladjustment through the early detection and eradication of irrational beliefs. A review of 33 unpublished dissertations and four published reports found RET effective in about 25% of comparisons with wait-list, placebo, and other treatment conditions. The major effects of RET were changes in scores on self-report measures of irrational beliefs, less on emotional distress, and little or no change in behavior; essentially the same pattern of effects previously found in a similar analysis of RET in adult populations. Little justification was found for continued use of RET in schools.
Gossette
R L
RL
Psychology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11550.
O'Brien
R M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012574:Schools; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome