Table 2.
Quality markers of each paper as measured with CASP
| CASP Item | Cater (2014) | Jarman (2014) | Ermentrout et al. (2014) | Humphreys et al. (2006) | Humphreys et al. (2011) | Kearney and Cushing (2012) | Paris (1999) | Peled and Edleson (1992) | Peled (1998) | Peled and Edleson (1999) | Thompson (2009) | Thompson (2011) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total n= “Yes” | 9 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Total n= “No” | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total n=“Can't tell” | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| How valuable is the research to this meta‐synthesis? (Key, useful, marginal, not relevant) | Key | Useful | Key | Key | Key | Useful/Marginal a | Useful | Key | Key | Key | Useful | Useful |
| 1 Was there a clear statement of AIMS of the research? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 Is a qualitative methodology appropriate? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research? | Yes | Can't tell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4 Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research? | Yes | Can't tell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5 Was the data collected in a way that addresses the research issue? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Can't tell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered? | Can't tell | Can't tell | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| 7 Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? | Yes | Can't tell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes b |
| 8 Was the data analysis sufficiently rigorous? | Yes | Adequate | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| 9 Is there a clear statement of findings? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 10 How valuable is the research? c | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
aHighly relevant to our review but uncertain quality because of lack of reporting in paper.
bRetrospective analysis. No mention of formal ethical review, but it is clear that ethical considerations were taken into account during the group therapy.
cDid the researchers discuss the contribution of the study to existing knowledge or understanding, for example, do they consider the findings in relation to current practice or policy or relevant research‐based literature? Do they identify new areas where research is necessary? Have the researchers discussed whether or how the findings can be transferred to other populations or considered other ways the research may be used? Is the research useful to this synthesis?