| Abstract: | Reviews and meta-analyses of research on adult psychotherapy and counseling with adults published in English from 1990 to 1998 (N = 255) were rated according to the criteria advanced by A. D. Oxman and G. H. Guyart (1988). A majority of the reviews fell substantially short of these basic standards; on average, review articles met only half of the 8 criteria, and only 20% met 7 or more of the criteria. Common deficiencies included failure to describe comprehensive search methods used to locate studies: failure to explain inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies; and failure to provide reliable, unbiased assessments of the studies reviewed. The reviews showed no tendency to improve over the period studied. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
