Use of evidence based practices in treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders can be predicted better from organization's culture and climate than individual therapist's characteristics, found researchers.
Many mental health therapists use treatments that have little evidence to support them. A new multi-institution study led by Penn Medicine has published the study in the February 16th issue of JAMA Pediatrics, is the first comprehensive investigation of its kind.
Quiz on Anxiety Disorder
Intense fear, persistent worry, bad dreams, feelings that you may be going crazy � sounds familiar? Take this quiz and find out more on symptoms and treatment of anxiety disorder.
Advertisement
"Therapists employ many different treatment methods when working with young people, even though research indicates that evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and family therapy are more effective than others, such as psychodynamic techniques," explains lead author, Rinad Beidas, PhD, assistant professor of Psychology in the department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Beidas and colleagues surveyed 188 therapists, supervisors, and administrators at 23 community mental health organizations in Philadelphia about their knowledge, attitudes, use of therapy strategies, organizational culture and climate, and leadership.
![Tips on Mental Health and How to Prevent Depression and Suicide]( "Tips on Mental Health and How to Prevent Depression and Suicide")
'Suicide Prevention' was the theme of a seminar in South India when university students came together to share messages on how to prevent suicides and tips to enjoy better mental health.
This study was performed in close partnership with the city of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) and its system-wide efforts to implement evidence-based practices. Philadelphia, under Commissioner Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD, clinical associate in the department of Psychiatry, is a national leader in deploying evidence-based practices for youth and adults with psychiatric disorders in publicly-funded mental health agencies.
Study results showed that organizational culture and climate and implementation climate and leadership, as reported by therapists and agency leadership, more fully explained therapist's use of CBT (23 percent) and family therapy techniques (19 percent) when compared to individual therapist factors. Conversely, individual factors, including knowledge and attitude more fully explained therapists' use of psychodynamic therapy (20 percent) compared to organizational factors.
CBT emphasizes problem-solving and teaching youth specific skills to correct distorted thinking and change behavior. Family therapy convenes families to promote changes in both individual behavior and relationships. Both forms of therapy have been shown to be effective in hundreds of studies. In contrast, there is little evidence to support the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy, a form of psychoanalysis focused on revealing the unconscious content of the psyche, in youth.
"Our research shows that targeting organizational culture and climate may increase the use of evidence-based therapy strategies. But we will still need to change therapists' knowledge and attitudes to help them stop using less effective treatment strategies."
Further, Beidas suggests that "improving the way our youth are treated requires knowing what levers to pull. Do we engage in organizational change or do we work directly with the clinicians? Our results suggest that we should target organizational culture and climate changes that will improve the effectiveness of services, while also working directly with clinicians to reduce use of ineffective treatment techniques."
Additional authors from Penn include Matthew Hurford, Trevor Hadley, Lucia Walsh, Danielle Adams, David Mandell, Steven Marcus, and Frances Barg.
The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Source: Newswise
Tips on Mental Health and How to Prevent Depression and Suicide
'Suicide Prevention' was the theme of a seminar in South India when university students came together to share messages on how to prevent suicides and tips to enjoy better mental health.
Advertisement
This study was performed in close partnership with the city of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) and its system-wide efforts to implement evidence-based practices. Philadelphia, under Commissioner Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD, clinical associate in the department of Psychiatry, is a national leader in deploying evidence-based practices for youth and adults with psychiatric disorders in publicly-funded mental health agencies.
Study results showed that organizational culture and climate and implementation climate and leadership, as reported by therapists and agency leadership, more fully explained therapist's use of CBT (23 percent) and family therapy techniques (19 percent) when compared to individual therapist factors. Conversely, individual factors, including knowledge and attitude more fully explained therapists' use of psychodynamic therapy (20 percent) compared to organizational factors.
CBT emphasizes problem-solving and teaching youth specific skills to correct distorted thinking and change behavior. Family therapy convenes families to promote changes in both individual behavior and relationships. Both forms of therapy have been shown to be effective in hundreds of studies. In contrast, there is little evidence to support the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy, a form of psychoanalysis focused on revealing the unconscious content of the psyche, in youth.
"Our research shows that targeting organizational culture and climate may increase the use of evidence-based therapy strategies. But we will still need to change therapists' knowledge and attitudes to help them stop using less effective treatment strategies."
Further, Beidas suggests that "improving the way our youth are treated requires knowing what levers to pull. Do we engage in organizational change or do we work directly with the clinicians? Our results suggest that we should target organizational culture and climate changes that will improve the effectiveness of services, while also working directly with clinicians to reduce use of ineffective treatment techniques."
Additional authors from Penn include Matthew Hurford, Trevor Hadley, Lucia Walsh, Danielle Adams, David Mandell, Steven Marcus, and Frances Barg.
The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Source: Newswise
Mental Health - Neurosis vs Psychosis
Mental well-being is a concern and abnormal coping of emotions can lead to neurosis or psychosis. Mental illnesses can range from depression, anxiety, phobias to schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Advertisement
 Internet Addiction DisorderInternet addiction disorder is of 3 types, excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations and email / text messaging. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Mental Health News
Americans exhibit high intelligence in one IQ category despite lower scores in others according to a new study.
New study confirms a drop in suicide rates across 15 European countries, while Turkey sees a significant increase.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth experience sleep problems due to depression, stress, and family conflict.
Are mental health services important for tuberculosis treatment? Integrating mental health services into the Tuberculosis program can improve treatment completion.
Sleep interventions such as melatonin treatment could be considered to reduce the risk of self-harm in young females with depression and anxiety, instead of medications.