Investigation of Experimental Studies Based on Rational Emotive-Behavior Therapy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study was to examine the trends in rational emotive-behavior therapy-based effectiveness research in Turkey. Databases were investigated with various keywords and 32 studies were included. The results of the present study have shown that the effectiveness of studies based on rational emotive-behavior therapy tend to increase in recent years. Experimental studies based on rational-emotive behavior therapy are mostly at the level of the doctoral thesis. In the studies, group psycho-education programs were mostly preferred, and single-subject case studies were limited. There are mostly studies with individuals in young adulthood and childhood, and no study has yet been implemented with individuals in old age. According to the problem dimensions, 48 different subjects were discussed, and the most irrational thought, emotion, and behavior dependent variables were found in the studies. The groups were formed as 8 session programs at most, and the groups were determined that the session duration was between 40-60 minutes at most. The studies were carried out with a maximum of 10-19 participants, and all of the effectiveness studies were reported to be effective. There were follow-up measures in 67.75% of the studies, and a 4-week and 8-week follow-up period was most preferred in the first follow-up. The findings of the present study were discussed and suggestions for future studies were presented.