Maintenance of Training Effects of Two Models for Implementing Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• College counseling centers face challenges in disseminating evidence-based treatments.
• Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is an effective treatment for depression and eating disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the maintenance of training outcomes for two approaches to training college therapists in IPT: train-the-trainer versus expert training.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomized trial involving 184 therapists across 24 college counseling centers.
• Therapists provided data at baseline, posttraining, and during a maintenance period (7 months post-intervention).
• Outcomes measured included therapist fidelity (adherence, competence) and IPT knowledge.

Main Results:

• Both groups improved in adherence, competence, and IPT knowledge from baseline to maintenance.
• The train-the-trainer group demonstrated greater improvement over time in adherence and competence.

Conclusions:

• The train-the-trainer approach leads to better maintained training outcomes for therapist adherence and competence.
• This model holds potential for increasing the dissemination of evidence-based treatments like IPT.