In hopes of optimizing our mental health system and making it available to everyone who needs it, Yale University researchers asked that scientists rethink their methods in evidence-based psychotherapy. And, in the latest issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science, many scientists came forward with their ideas on the subject:
- Understanding what works and for whom: Psychological scientists Varda Shoham, of the University of Arizona-Tucson and Thomas R. Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, contend that knowing which treatments work won’t matter unless we know how to target the interventions to the people who will benefit most. “In the absence of such knowledge,” they argue, “we risk treatment decisions guided by accessibility to resources rather than patient needs – the very problem Kazdin and Blase aim to solve.”
- Integrating several levels of care: Marc S. Atkins and Stacy L. Frazier at the University of Illinois at Chicago argue that “only a comprehensive and integrated public health model can adequately address the pervasive societal problems that underlie our country’s mental health needs.” Adopting such a public health approach will require that we pay attention to all levels of mental health care, distributing resources equally from the prevention to intervention stage of the treatment process.
- Identifying optimal methods of delivery: According to Brian Yates of American University, we have to find more effective ways to deliver treatment – “methods that use less therapist time, less client time, minimize client transportation costs as well as brick-and-mortar space, and use less of other increasingly scarce and costly resources.”
Source: The Behavioral Medicine Report
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.