Development of an Instrument to Measure the Level of Evidence-based Practice in Clinical Mental Health Services

Abstract

Introduction:

While systems of care are identifying the need to employ evidence-based modes of treatment, there are to date few instruments designed to measure the degree to which clinicians apply evidence-based interventions. The interventions survey was designed to tap each clinicians’ understanding of evidence-based interventions and the degree to which they identify theory in relation to evidence-based intervention and diagnosis.

Method:

A literature review was conducted to identify evidence-based interventions. Search strategies included meta-analyses that focused on systematic review of a range of databases. Emphasis in the survey's design was placed on linking evidence-based interventions, diagnosis and theoretical orientations. Clinicians (n = 118) could select among a range of options including evidence-based interventions for specific diagnoses. In addition to mapping evidence to interventions by diagnosis, results include a report of index modal interventions used by staff by type (individual, group, family) and diagnosis. The higher the index reported (range 0-1) the greater the variation of interventions by diagnoses.

Results:

Forty percent of clinical staff favored more that one type of family therapy for different diagnoses, and 35% of staff favored more than one type of group therapy for different diagnoses, whereas about 30% of staff varied their choice of individual intervention as a function of diagnosis.

Conclusions:

The results indicate that the survey is able to tap a range of clinicians’ theoretical orientations and knowledge of evidence-based practices related to child and adolescent mental health interventions.