Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Training in Residency and Graduate Programs: A Multidisciplinary Survey

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Training
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Training in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) is vital for their adoption in clinical settings.
• Previous surveys (NPTS-I) showed significant variation in EBP training requirements across disciplines.
• Dissemination efforts over two decades prompted a re-evaluation of EBP training levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-examine EBP training requirements and practices in various mental health training programs.
• To compare current EBP training levels with data from twenty years prior.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to EBP training.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey (NPTS-II) was administered to program directors across psychiatry, clinical psychology (Ph.D. and Psy.D.), counseling psychology, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), and social work (M.S.W.) programs.
• Half of accredited programs in each discipline were randomly selected.
• Response rate was 44% (253 out of 574 programs).

Main Results:

• At least 75% of programs offered didactic and clinical supervision in EBPs.
• Required EBP training rates were highest in psychiatry (90%) and clinical psychology Ph.D. (81%) programs.
• Lower required training rates were observed in clinical psychology Psy.D. (59%), PMHNP (48%), counseling psychology (28%), and M.S.W. (27%) programs.

Conclusions:

• EBP training requirements have remained consistent in psychiatry and increased in clinical psychology programs.
• Persistent low EBP training rates in several disciplines may contribute to the gap between research evidence and clinical practice.
• Further efforts are needed to enhance EBP training across all mental health disciplines.