Using Emotion-Focused Therapy to Treat Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Canada

Depression is a common mental health condition that can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life. While various forms of psychotherapy have been shown to be effective in treating depression, emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a relatively new approach that focuses specifically on the role of emotions in depression.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of EFT for depression would involve synthesizing the available research on the effectiveness of EFT in treating depression. Such a review would likely cover the following areas:

• Study selection: A systematic review and meta-analysis would involve identifying relevant studies from various databases and selecting those that meet specific inclusion criteria. In this case, studies that examine the use of EFT for depression would be selected.

• Data extraction: Relevant data, such as sample size, treatment duration, and outcome measures, would be extracted from each selected study. This would allow for a comprehensive comparison of the results across studies.

• Quality assessment: Each study would be evaluated for quality using specific criteria. This would help to determine the strength of the evidence in support of EFT for depression.

• Data analysis: A meta-analysis would involve combining the data from the selected studies to calculate an overall effect size for the use of EFT in treating depression. This would provide a quantitative estimate of the effectiveness of EFT for depression.

The findings of such a systematic review and meta-analysis would provide important insights into the effectiveness of EFT in treating depression. It would also help to identify areas where additional research is needed to better understand the potential benefits of this approach for individuals with depression.