Treatment FAQ

6. what makes a counseling treatment empirically supported and validated

by Miss Nya Hoppe IV Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

What makes a counseling treatment empirically supported and validated? Empirically supported treatments, otherwise known as evidence-based treatments or evidence-based practices, are treatments and therapies that have research-based medical and scientific evidence showing that they work. That's where the research comes in.

If the study results are positive for the treatment's safety and effectiveness, and the results lead to approval of it by the FDA, it's an empirically supported treatment.Jan 22, 2021

Full Answer

What is an evidence supported treatment for psychological disorders?

Empirically Supported Treatments for Psychological Disorders. Empirically supported treatments, otherwise known as evidence-based treatments or evidence-based practices, are treatments and therapies have research-based medical and scientific evidence showing that they work.

What are empirically supported treatments?

Empirically supported treatments, otherwise known as evidence-based treatments or evidence-based practices, are treatments and therapies that have research-based medical and scientific evidence showing that they work. How do doctors know that empirically supported treatments work? That's where the research comes in.

What is evidence based approach in psychotherapy?

Evidence based approach in psychotherapy the limitations of current empirically supported treatments paradigms and of similar theoretical approaches as regards establishing efficient and effective treatments in psychotherapy. Brief Strategic Syst. Ther. Eur. Rev.1, 229–248 [Google Scholar]

What is the efficacy of psychological interventions?

RCT efficacy research has documented that psychological interventions are better than no treatment or nonspecific intervention (Lipsey & Wilson, 1993; Smith & Glass, 1977) and are at least as efficacious as medication for many psychological disorders, and more so in the long run (DeRubeis et al., 2005 ).

What makes a treatment empirically supported?

Empirically supported therapies (ESTs) are behavioral health interventions that have been rigorously tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or a series of well-designed single-subject experiments and have demonstrated efficacy when compared to a control or active treatment condition (Chambless and Hollon, 1998; ...

What criteria must be met for a treatment to be classified as empirically supported?

In brief, to meet the highest standard of “well estab- lished,” a treatment must be supported by (a) at least two independently conducted, well-designed studies or (b) a large series of well-designed and carefully con- trolled single-case design experiments.

What are empirically supported treatments in psychology?

Empirically supported treatments (ESTs) are psychological interventions that are supported by quantitative scientific research, and empirically supported principles of change (ESP) refer to a treatment's underlying causal mechanisms or to procedures directly linked to those mechanisms.

What is empirically validated?

the degree to which the accuracy of a test, model, or other construct can be demonstrated through experimentation and systematic observation (i.e., the accumulation of supporting research evidence) rather than theory alone.

What is an empirically supported treatment quizlet?

Empirically Supported Treatments. Treatments that have been examined empirically through well-designed studies and have found to be effective for the treatment of a specific disorder.

What are empirically supported therapies ESTs )? Quizlet?

What are empirically supported therapies (ESTs)? ESTs are therapies that have proved to be effective in scientifically conducted trials.

What makes a treatment evidence based?

Evidence-based treatment (EBT) refers to treatment that is backed by scientific evidence. That is, studies have been conducted and extensive research has been documented on a particular treatment, and it has proven to be successful.

What is empirically based?

adj. 1 derived from or relating to experiment and observation rather than theory. 2 (of medical treatment) based on practical experience rather than scientific proof.

What are empirically supported relationships?

These empirically supported relationships are aspects of the way in which client and therapist interact, that research has been able to relate favorably to treatment outcome or process.

Why is empirical validity important?

In a perfect relationship, the appearance of X would always cause the effect Y each and every time the relationship is seen. Empirical Validity. This is the most important factor in evaluating a theory, and means that the theory has been supported by research evidence.

What is empirically supported interventions in social work?

Empirically supported interventions are those with a significant history of use in the social work profession. D) Empirically supported interventions are required by state licensing boards, while evidence-based interventions are not.

What is empirically based research and empirically based practice?

An empirically supported treatment [EST] is a label used to identify treatments or services for one specific problem that have met established standards of research quality and outcomes (O'Donohue, Buchanan, & Fisher, 2000.

What is evidence based treatment?

on January 22, 2021. Tetra Images / Getty Images. Empirically supported treatments, otherwise known as evidence-based treatments or evidence-based practices, are treatments and therapies that have research-based medical and scientific evidence showing that they work.

What Is a Randomized Clinical Trial?

First, it's important to understand that randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" for testing new treatments. Every new treatment submitted for FDA approval must be supported by results from randomized controlled trials demonstrating that it's both safe and effective. 1 

What does it mean to be on a trial?

Trial simply means that the treatment is on trial during the randomized controlled trial. If the study results are positive for the treatment's safety and effectiveness, and the results lead to approval of it by the FDA, it's an empirically supported treatment.

What is the gold standard for testing new treatments?

First, it's important to understand that randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" for testing new treatments. Every new treatment submitted for FDA approval must be supported by results from randomized controlled trials demonstrating that it's both safe and effective. 1 . For instance, when your doctor prescribes ...

What does "controlled" mean in a study?

Controlled means that one of the groups studied does not receive the new ("active") treatment being tested.

Does Verywell Mind use peer reviewed sources?

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

What is the raison d'être of empirically supported treatment?

Accountability via the application of research to practice is the raison d'être of the empirically supported treatment (EST), evidence-based treatment (EBT), and evidence-based practice (EBP) movements. Although basing practice on empirical findings seems only reasonable, application becomes complex when unfurled in the various social, political, economic, and other ideological contexts that influence the delivery of mental health services (Norcross, Beutler, & Levant, 2006). This chapter describes two different approaches to defining and disseminating evidence (Littell, 2010)—one that seeks to improve clinical practice via the dissemination of treatments meeting a minimum standard of empirical support (EBT) and another that describes a process of research application to practice that includes clinical judgment and client preferences (EBP). We unfold the controversy by addressing the nature of evidence, how it is transported to real-world settings, and ultimately, whether such evidence improves client outcomes. To further inform the debate surrounding the two approaches, this chapter also discusses the randomized clinical trial (RCT), its specificity assumption, and the connection of the RCT to a medical model way of understanding psychotherapy. Finally, we strike at the heart of the controversy by tackling the thorny question of whether EBTs should be mandated.

How did evidence-based practice in psychology evolve?

Evidence-based practice in psychology evolved from evidence-based medicine (EBM). Leff 2002 posited three important events that shaped the evolution of EBM. First, in 1910, Abraham Flexner wrote of the conditions in medical schools that led to sweeping reforms in physician training with an increased emphasis on a curriculum undergirded by science. Second was the publication of the first RCT in 1948 in the British Medical Journal. The third major influence was the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and, in the early 1960s, the establishment of the double-blinded RCT as the gold standard for demonstrating efficacy and safety.

How many manualized treatments are there in psychotherapy?

Drawing on 8 of the 12 overlapping lists of empirically supported therapies, Chambless and Ollendick 2001 noted that 108 different manualized treatments have met the specific criteria of empirical support—a daunting number for any clinician to consider. Although the move to manualize psychotherapy emerged from its increasing medicalization of psychotherapy, manuals have a positive role to play. They enhance the internal validity of comparative outcome studies, facilitate treatment integrity and therapists' technical competence, ensure the possibility of replication, and provide a systematic way of training and supervising therapists in specific models (Lambert & Ogles, 2004 ).

What is the acronym for clinical psychology?

Since that time, EST, EBT , and EBP have all become commonplace acronyms within clinical psychology and across the mental health and substance abuse fields.

What is the best available research?

Consisting of both researchers and practitioners, the APA Task Force defined “the best available research” as “results related to intervention strategies, assessment, clinical problems, and patient populations in laboratory and field settings as well as to clinically relevant results of basic research in psychology and related fields” ( 2006, p. 274). In contrast to the efforts of Division 12 and others that delineate the RCT as the gold standard of research, the Task Force did not identify one research methodology to be superior, maintaining that different methodologies are required to answer different research questions, including effectiveness studies, process research, single-subject designs, case studies, and qualitative methodologies.

What was Sackett's influence on medicine?

Simultaneous with Sackett's influence in medicine, a completely different approach to the application of evidence to practice occurred in psychology. It started with the American Psychiatric Association's development of practice guidelines. Beginning in 1993, psychiatrists produced guidelines for disorders ranging from major depression to nicotine dependence. Psychiatry's imprimatur gave an aura of scientific legitimacy to what was primarily an agreement among psychiatrists about their preferred practices, with an emphasis on biological treatment.

Why is client feedback important?

The APA Task Force 2006 commented that client feedback was an important area of research that needed to be considered as a means to improve treatment by “providing clinicians with real-time patient feedback to benchmark progress in treatment and clinical support tools to adjust treatment as needed” (p. 278). APA's Division 29 Task Force on Empirically Supported Relationships also supported the use of feedback by advising practitioners to “routinely monitor patients' responses to the therapy relationship and ongoing treatment. Such monitoring leads to increased opportunities to repair alliance ruptures, to improve the relationship, and to avoid premature termination” (Ackerman et al., 2001, p. 496).

Why is empirically supported therapy important?

It therefore protects the public from adverse effects that range from paying for an ineffective treatment, to sustaining psychological damage. Focusing on empirically supported treatments serves as a quality control system for the field of Psychology, and protects it from becoming “watered down” by treatment approaches that lack efficacy. By using this system it also becomes less likely that one will make ethical missteps. When a clinician commits to evidence based practice using only empirically supported treatments, the public can be confident that they will receive therapy that is cost effective and has been shown to have a high likelihood of helping them.

What are the arguments against empirically supported treatments?

Some took issue with the notion that “validity” is objective and can ever be achieved. They argued that validity is an ever-changing process and that judgments of validity are only as good as the studies that investigate each treatment approach (some of which are plagued with small sample sizes and subpar research conditions). Other critics suggested that many legitimate therapies do not lend themselves to manualized approaches and that strict adherence to a manual does not allow the flexibility required for client specificity. Yet another argument against the list of empirically supported treatments is that it is easily misinterpreted and used as a tool of elitism. Third-party payers may decide to fund only those approaches that are on the list and exclude all others, which is not how the list was intended to be used. Also, therapy approaches for use with certain psychological disorders (notably the personality disorders) are underrepresented on the list of empirically supported treatments, leaving a large subset of clients without appropriate services. As with most issues, the concept of empirically supported treatments is therefore likely best used as a flexible guideline rather than a rigid prescription for practice.

What is Lilienfeld's opinion on harm?

In Lilienfeld’s opinion, the topic of treatments that harm requires further investigation. His suggestions for future research include the extent to which harmful therapies are being administered, reasons for the continued popularity of harmful therapies, therapist or client variables that may increase or decrease the likelihood of harm, as well as any mediating variables. He also posits that the antidote to PHTs may include using standardized questionnaires at every session to track client outcomes.

Why is it important to be concerned about potentially harmful therapies?

According to Lilienfeld, there are two reasons why clinicians need to be concerned about potentially harmful therapies. First, clinicians are bound by an ethical duty to avoid harming their clients. Ignorance is not a valid defense for causing harm, no matter how unintentional. Second, investigating the sometimes negative effects of therapy can shed light on potential causes of client deterioration. Learning about situations in which clients do not get better is as important as the cases in which they do – failure presents an opportunity for growth and increased knowledge. In his article Lilienfeld describes potential harm as including several possibilities: a worsening of symptoms or emergence of new ones, increased distress about existing symptoms, unhealthy dependency on the therapist, reluctance to seek future treatment when needed, and in extreme cases physical harm. Harm can even be done to family and friends of the client, as in the case of false abuse accusations. A therapy is considered a PHT if (1) it causes harmful psychological or physical effects in clients or their relatives, (2) the harmful effects are enduring and are not simply a short-term worsening of symptoms during treatment (as in the case of some PTSD treatments), and (3) the harm has been replicated by independent study. Treatments that harm are concerning because they contribute to client attrition (i.e., clients prematurely leaving therapy), long-term deterioration (i.e., a worsening of client functioning), and a general degradation of psychology’s reputation as a discipline.

Why is EBP important?

Although EBP requires a great amount of work on the part of the service provider, it is necessary in order to protect the public from intentional or inadvertent harm. It also maximizes the chances for successful treatment. Evidence-based practice also encourages the view of Psychology as a legitimate, ethical and scientific field of study and practice.

What is evidence based practice?

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is defined by the Canadian Psychological Association (2012) as the intentional and careful use of the best research evidence available at the time, in order to guide each clinical decision and delivered service. To practice in an evidence-based way, a clinician must make themselves aware of ...

Is psychology under the radar?

Despite an increased interest in the negative side effects of psychiatric medications, the field of psychology had been allowed to “fly under the radar.”. Lilienfeld posited that this oversight carried with it serious risk to both the field of psychology and the public at large.

What was the Division 12 Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures?

A major focus of that report wasincreasing training in psychological interventions that havebeen supported in empirical research by making clinicalpsychologists and students more aware of these treatmentsand facilitating training opportunities. To provide the basisfor a survey on the degree to which clinical programs andinternships were currently providing training in empiricallysupported therapies, the task force constructed a list ofexamples of treatments meeting criteria for efficacy asestablished by the task force.

Is psychology a science?

Psychology is a science. Seeking to help those in need ,clinical psychology draws its strength and uniqueness fromthe ethic of scientific validation. Whatever interventionsthat mysticism, authority, commercialism, politics, custom,convenience, or carelessness might dictate, clinicalpsychologists focus on what works. They bear afundamental ethical responsibility to use where possibleinterventions that work and to subject any intervention theyuse to scientific scrutiny.

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