This study addressed the issue of interpreting results from effectiveness studies that use treatment-as-usual (TAU) as a comparator. Using randomised controlled studies that evaluate the effectiveness of multisystemic therapy as an illustrative example, we show that TAU includes a wide variety of treatment alternatives.
Full Answer
Do changes to standard treatment improve outcome?
Although the outcomes for both trials suggest that outcomes were relatively good in the TAU conditions in most sites, the significantly better retention outcomes in the MI protocol and drug use outcomes in the MET protocol suggest that relatively minor changes to standard treatment can have a meaningful effect on outcome.
Is Tau practiced in early phase of substance abuse treatment?
Several important findings emerged from this objective description of TAU as practiced in the early phase of individual substance abuse treatment in community programs affiliated with the CTN, which is, to our knowledge, the first study to use independent ratings of a large number of audiotaped standard treatment sessions.
Does the 12-step approach matter in counseling?
In the MET protocol, clinicians describing themselves as oriented primarily to a 12-step approach were rated as less likely to use formal treatment planning in their counseling (F [1, 8] = 29.5, p= .00) relative to clinicians who did not identify themselves with the 12-step approach.
What actually happens during substance abuse counseling sessions?
What actually occurs during substance abuse counseling sessions remains largely unknown (Carroll & Rounsaville, 2007; Miller, 2007). The lack of objective information on what interventions comprise TAU also presents several problems for addiction treatment research.
What is treatment as usual in research?
Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) means that the usual treatment — according to accepted standards for your particular discipline — is given to a group of participants. For example, psychiatric TAU might include psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two (Blais et. al, 2013).
Is treatment as usual a control group?
Treatment as usual (TAU) control groups are used to compare experimental interventions to treatments that are already used in clinical practice. The term “treatment as usual” seems to imply that most patients with the target problem ordinarily receive a particular treatment, but this is not always the case.
Why do we need a control group to demonstrate the effectiveness of a treatment?
Importance of control groups Control groups help ensure the internal validity of your research. You might see a difference over time in your dependent variable in your treatment group. However, without a control group, it is difficult to know whether the change has arisen from the treatment.
What is care as usual?
Care-as-usual (CAU) is often used as a control condition in psychotherapy research, but it may vary considerably what that entails, ranging from no treatment, to routine treatment in primary care, general medical care, perinatal care, and specialized mental health care.