Comparative efficacy of individual and group psychotherapy: A meta-analytic perspective.

TLDR

Recent reviews indicate group psychotherapy is beneficial and cost‑effective, yet evidence on its differential efficacy versus individual therapy remains problematic, incomplete, or controversial. The authors aimed to determine whether group and individual therapy differ in effectiveness by conducting a meta‑analysis of 23 outcome studies that directly compared the two formats within the same study. They performed a meta‑analysis of 23 outcome studies that directly compared individual and group therapy effectiveness within the same study. The meta‑analysis found no overall difference in outcomes between group and individual therapy, a result that held across client, therapist, methodology, treatment, and group variables, supporting group therapy as an efficacious cost‑effective alternative under many conditions.

Abstract

Recent reviews of the group psychotherapy literature indicate that group is a beneficial and cost-effective treatment format. However, collective findings on the differential efficacy of group when compared with individual therapy remain problematic, incomplete, or controversial. To remedy this problem, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of 23 outcome studies that directly compared the effectiveness of the individual and group therapy formats when they were used within the same study. Results were consistent with previous reports that indicated no difference in outcome between the group and individual formats. This finding generally held true when client, therapist, methodology, treatment, and group variables were examined for possible relationship with effect sizes comparing group and individual therapy. Results bolster past findings that group therapy can be used as an efficacious cost-effective alternative to individual therapy under many different conditions.