An independent analysis crowns Brigham Young University as the nation’s top producer of marriage and family therapy research.
The rankings evaluated research published by faculty at 19 universities that grant doctoral-level degrees in marriage and family therapy.
In a six-year period, BYU faculty published 52 studies in the six most significant family therapy journals. Runner-up Texas Tech published 42, followed by Purdue with 33.
“We are pleased with the recognition,” said Rick Miller, director of BYU’s School of Family Life. “More importantly, the research our scholars produce helps therapists throughout the country provide better clinical services to families.”
The rankings note that four of the eight most productive researchers come from BYU. Professor Russell Crane placed second both in the number of articles published and how often his articles were cited by other researchers.
Crane specializes in the link between mental health and use of medical services. His research has shown that family therapy can cut health care costs.
"With the help of therapy, people can deal with life more effectively and reduce stress," Crane said.
The rankings are published in the new issue of The Journal of Marital & Family Therapy.
Writer: Megan Bingham