A Meta-Analysis Of Psychological Interventions In Clinical Psychology: Implications For Enhancing Global Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

Purpose: This study is an attempt to determine the efficacy of several modes of psychological treatments, such as CBT, psychodynamic Therapy, humanistic Therapy, and group Therapy, on different populations. The target independent variables, gender, age, and education, influence perceived improvement in mental health to fill the gap in knowledge about the generalizability of these interventions across countries. Objective: The main goals are to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological treatments in general, to determine whether the clients’ characteristics affect the treatment results, and to identify trends that will be useful for further work with the clients and other researchers. The study aims to provide information to enhance the availability of culturally sensitive and demographic-appropriate mental health intervention. Methodology: The data for this cross-sectional quantitative study was obtained from 230 participants from an online questionnaire. These comprised age, gender, education, occupational status, place of residence, and participants’ history of using psychological interventions. Statistical analysis was employed to focus on the chi-square tests, ANOVA, logistic regression, and factor analysis. Different types of graphs, such as bar charts, box plots, and graphs showing the relations of different demographic factors with perceived intervention effectiveness, were adopted. The chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the relationship between gender and the intervention impact. At the same time, ANOVA helped to determine the impact of the different types of intervention on the demographic categories. Logistic regression was applied to predict the probability of an improvement according to the type of intervention used and patient characteristics. The elementary analysis enabled the understanding of the latent factors related to perceived effectiveness. Results: Likewise, the chi-square test of independence was used to compare the responses of males and females on the perceived effectiveness of psychological interventions, and the result attested insignificance χ² = 4. 57, p = 0. 803 and df = 8, which implies that both genders have a uniform impression on the perceived effectiveness of psychological interventions. The ANOVA test also returned non-significant results (F = 0. 184, p = 0. 947), meaning that patients from all demographic backgrounds regarded Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, and Group Therapy to be equally effective. The result of the logistic regression analysis indicated that age was significantly positively correlated with the improvement of mental health with a coefficient of 0. 117. However, the magnitude was very small compared to the negatively correlated coefficients for Humanistic Therapy (-0. 433), Group Therapy (-0.534), and “other” (- 0.324). Factor analysis identified two factors: The first one concerned the efficiency of the intervention, with a mean of 5.4063 and an SD of 0. 7578; factor 2 was about the demographics, with a mean of 2.3169 and SD of 0.6767. The bar charts, box plots, and the logistic regression coaxed out by the statistical analysis supported the findings clearly regarding the relationship of variables. Practical Implications: The results also show that psychological interventions, if culturally tailored, are viable with different population types, again stressing their universality. Clinicians could use all these therapies with patients they see without the need to make several modifications due to the gender, age, or education level of the patient. However, the study revealed that some specific types of Therapy, i.e., humanistic and group Therapy, need to be further modified to give better results for people who are searching for a more structured approach. Novelty: To fill this gap in the existing literature, this study aims to present the findings of research analyzing whether there is equality in the results obtained by mean psychological intervention on male and female patients of different ages and different ethnic backgrounds. It also adds to the understanding of the influence that demographic factors hold for mental disorders, which in turn is important as part of the search for treatment programs that apply internationally. Another aspect that brings novelty to the research is the engagement of participants from different countries, statistical analysis, and utilization of the figures. Conclusion: The study establishes that CBT, psychodynamic Therapy, and humanistic Therapy can be said to be of general effectiveness with no differential perceived effectiveness for gender, age, or education. Even though these therapies can be applied universally, there is still a need to increase the efficacy of some interventions, such as Humanistic Therapy & Group Therapy. The results presented at the forum show the need to develop and implement effective Therapy that would fit people from various backgrounds, especially in LMIC.