A Scoping Review of Solution-Focused Measures: Mobilizing Strengths and Resilience In Social Work

Background and Purpose: Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a resource-based therapeutic model developed by social workers in the early 1980s. What distinguishes SFBT from other therapies is its emphasis on solution-building over problem-solving, leveraging the client’s inherent resources and strengths. Despite its widespread application in social work, little is known about solution-focused measures that assess the solution-building process or treatment fidelity. Social work practitioners and researchers should have knowledge about assessment tools to effectively monitor client progress in solution-building and further build on client competencies. This presentation describes solution-focused measures, examines their psychometric properties, and explores how solution-building has been understood in these tools.

Methods: To identify solution-focused measurement tools, a scoping review was conducted on peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and theses/dissertations published globally to date. Forward citation searching and reference list checking were also performed for all included studies. Eligible studies needed to include the development and/or psychometric evaluation of solution-focused measures. Eight electronic databases were searched using the key terms, such as ‘solution-focused’, ‘solution-building’, ‘therapy’, ‘instrument’, ‘inventory’, ‘validation’, ‘reliability’, or ‘construct’. The study followed the PRISMA-ScR checklist.

Results: Eleven solution-focused measures were identified. Seven measures were developed for clients in general mental health settings as well as specific contexts, including couple therapy or trauma treatment. Four measures were for providers, which aimed to assess clinical supervision, SFBT fidelity, theoretical orientation toward SFBT, solution-focused leadership, and communication at the organizational level. These identified measures were applied across diverse disciplines and international contexts. The Solution Building Inventory (SBI) and Solution-Focused Inventory (SFI) had the strongest empirical support, with multiple studies confirming their reliability and construct validity. Both measures captured the broadest range of core SFBT constructs, intended to assess clients’ solution-building and solution-focused thinking processes. In contrast, measures such as the Couple Resource Map Scale (CRMS) and Solution-Focused Recovery Scale (SFRS) focused more narrowly on strengths and resource activation within couple therapy and trauma treatment. Only one study validated the psychometric properties of the Solution-Focused Fidelity Instrument. Moreover, most instruments lacked evidence on sensitivity to change. Lastly, overall mapping of SFBT constructs revealed that “strengths and resources” and “hope and positive emotions” were most frequently assessed, while “goal setting”, “using the client’s language”, and “behavioral activation” were least represented.

Conclusions and Implications: While multiple solution-focused measures have been found across various modalities and settings, limitations include lengthy items, inconsistent factor structures, and insufficient psychometric validation. Further development of solution-focused measures is needed, particularly validating and refining SFBT fidelity, testing with diverse client populations, and assessing their sensitivity to change. The underrepresentation of goal setting and the use of the client’s language highlights the need for these constructs to be included in both measure development and practitioner training to strengthen the theoretical conceptualization of SFBT. Advancing this line of research will equip social work practitioners with reliable tools to monitor solution-building, foster client resilience, and enhance the rigor of evidence-based practice. It will also promote greater alignment between theory, measurement, and clinical practice.