The influence of marital and family therapy on health care utilization in a health-maintenance organization.
Research has shown that people reduce their use of health care after individual psychotherapy. However, little research has been done to learn if marital and family therapy has a similar effect. Subjects (n = 292) from a health-maintenance organization were randomly selected according to the type of therapy they had received. Subjects' medical records were examined for 6 months before, during, and after therapy. Those who received marital and family therapy significantly reduced their use of health care services by 21.5%. These results show an "offset effect" for marriage and family therapy.
School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. DandSLaw@aol.com
D D
DD
Law
D R
DR
Crane
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014589:Utah; D014600:Utilization Review