Jan 16, 2020 By: yunews
Dr. Hanni Flaherty, clinical assistant professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, co-authored a study in the Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work with researchers from the University of Michigan, New York University and Washington University examining “the factors associated with the adoption of research-supported interventions (RSIs) in outpatient mental health clinics serving youth in order to inform implementation efforts and ultimately improve treatment outcomes.” Their explanatory cross-sectional study included data from a clinical trial of an innovative group-based RSI in public mental health clinics for youth in New York City and used structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between attitudes toward and beliefs of RSIs and uptake/use of RSIs in practice among providers in mental health settings.
They found that as providers’ attitudes toward and beliefs about RSIs became more favorable, “on average, RSIs were used more in practice in mental health settings serving youth.” This study “highlighted the impact of, and need for, educational programs highlighting the positive effects of evidence-based practice as to promote the use of RSIs. The greater understanding of these factors can improve efforts to ensure effective adoption, implementation, and sustainment of research-supported interventions and thus, improve treatment for youth in mental health settings.”