A Meta-Analysis of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in Korean Schools

Background and Purpose: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a strength-based, future-oriented intervention widely used in school settings worldwide. Despite its increasing use in Korean schools, few meta-analyses have comprehensively examined its effectiveness and potential moderators. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of SFBT in Korean schools to describe intervention and participant characteristics, examine overall effectiveness, and identify moderators influencing therapeutic effectiveness.

Methods: A systematic search identified studies published in Korea from 1995 to 2024 using three major Korean electronic databases, including RISS, DBpia, and KRpia. Eligible studies included SFBT interventions conducted in school settings (primary school to college), using either Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) or quasi-experimental. Both journal articles and dissertations/theses were analyzed. This study followed Cochrane guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024603637).

Results: A total of 46 studies (152 effect sizes) were analyzed using a three-level random-effects meta-analysis model. Most interventions were group therapies (95%), averaging 10 sessions and 12.46 techniques. All studies incorporated three core elements of SFBT (i.e. collaborative relationships, strengths and resources, and future-oriented). Most of the studies (91%) were dissertations/theses, 52% employed RCTs, and 58.7% were conducted in primary schools. Notably, 28% of studies integrated SFBT with other intervention approaches, such as art, games, or other creative methods. The overall effect size was large (g = 0.9, 95% CI = [0.73-1.06], p < .001). A subgroup correlated effects (SCE) was used to compare treatment effects across different youth outcomes and comparator groups. The effect sizes were significantly greater than both treatments-as-usual (g = 1.05, 95% CI = [0.76-1.34], p < .001) and wait-list control groups (g = 0.74, 95% CI = [0.57, 0.91], p < .001). SFBT showed strong treatment effects across all outcome domains, including behavioral problems (g = 1.38, CI= [0.83, 1.93], p < .01), academic functioning (g = 0.95, CI = [0.68, 1.21], p < .001), social relationships (g = 0.86, CI= [0.56, 1.15], p < .001), and psychological well-being (g = 0.82, CI= [0.65, 0.99], p < .001). Study design and participant age were significant moderators, with the strongest effects observed in RCTs (g =1.01, CI = [0.72, 1.30], p < .001) and among middle school students (g = 0.73, CI= [0.12,1.35], p < .01).

Conclusions and Implications: SFBT is highly effective in Korean schools, as evidenced by the overall large effect size. Group-based delivery and the integration with other intervention methods emerged as common features. This may reflect both the developmental needs of younger students included in this study and the influence of collectivist cultural values emphasizing group harmony – consistent with findings from other East Asian countries. Findings will be discussed within the broader sociocultural context of Korean schools. This research contributes to expanding the international perspective in school social work by informing culturally relevant intervention strategies that address the unique needs of students from Korean and broader East Asian backgrounds. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed to support the effective implementation of SFBT in culturally diverse and international educational settings.