The Evidence Base of Systemic Family and Couples Therapies, Essay Example

Cost-Effectiveness Research

The cost-effectiveness of interventions can potentially influence family members to participate in sessions that will improve their ability to relate to one another. Research and development research can be combined with cost-effectiveness research in order to demonstrate the overall value of family therapy. An example of this would be comparing the figures of the financial cost of a series of family therapy sessions compared to the average cost of the same number of months’ supply of medication. This comparison would demonstrate that the family therapy sessions cost less. To convince individuals that family therapy is more effective, these results can be compiled and compared as well.

It is important to consider that many individuals turn to medication as a quick fix for psychological issues, but in many cases, this is a treatment process rather than a curative one. Therapy sessions work to find the root cause of the problem and train the behaviors of individuals to prevent these issues from repeatedly arising. While some could argue that there is a chemical basis of behaviors, we can in a sense, train the brain to react differently through family therapy, thereby altering brain chemicals without the use of pharmaceuticals.

Another way that the cost-effectiveness of family therapy can be measured is to determine the amount of individuals who seek care for their behavior in familial relationships who have health insurance and those who don’t. Even for those who do not have coverage for their sessions, family therapy is a better alternative because it is far less expensive than acquiring medication without insurance. It is therefore important for individuals to consider the value of family therapy, both in terms of cost and effectiveness, over the use of medication to treat their perceived psychological dilemmas.

References

Stratton P. (2011). The Evidence Base of Systemic Family and Couples Therapies. Retrieved from            http://www.aft.org.uk/SpringboardWebApp/userfiles/aft/file/Training/EvidenceBaseofSystemicFamilyandCouplesTherapies%28Jan2011%29.pdf