A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria
Abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) means integrating the best available scientific evidence with clinical experience and patient values. Although perceived as important by many psychotherapists, there still seems to be reluctance to use empirically supported therapies in clinical practice. We ai...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13266-2 |
| _version_ | 1818253091847274496 |
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| author | B. Nussbaumer-Streit A. Jesser E. Humer A. Barke B. K. Doering B. Haid W. Schimböck A. Reisinger M. Gasser H. Eichberger-Heckmann P. Stippl G. Gartlehner C. Pieh T. Probst |
| author_facet | B. Nussbaumer-Streit A. Jesser E. Humer A. Barke B. K. Doering B. Haid W. Schimböck A. Reisinger M. Gasser H. Eichberger-Heckmann P. Stippl G. Gartlehner C. Pieh T. Probst |
| author_sort | B. Nussbaumer-Streit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) means integrating the best available scientific evidence with clinical experience and patient values. Although perceived as important by many psychotherapists, there still seems to be reluctance to use empirically supported therapies in clinical practice. We aimed to assess the attitudes of psychotherapists in Austria toward EBP in psychotherapy as well as factors influencing the implementation of EBP. We conducted an online survey. To investigate attitudes toward EBP, we used two subscales (“Limitations” and “Balance”) of a translated and validated short version of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale-36 (EBPAS-36). Participants provided perceived barriers and facilitators as answers to open-ended questions. We analyzed the responses mainly using descriptive statistics. Open answers were analyzed using a thematic analysis. In total, 238 psychotherapists completed our survey (mean age 51.0 years, standard deviation [SD] = 9.9, 76.9% female). Psychotherapists scored on average 2.62 (SD = 0.89) on the reversed EBPAS-36 subscale “Limitations,” indicating that the majority do not perceive EBP as limiting their practice as psychotherapists. They scored 1.43 (SD = 0.69) on the reversed EBPAS-36 subscale “Balance,” indicating that psychotherapists on average put a higher value on the art of psychotherapy than on evidence-based approaches. Organizational factors such as lack of time and access to research studies as well as negative attitudes toward research and a lack of skills and knowledge kept respondents from implementing EBP. Our study highlights that EBP is still not very popular within the psychotherapy community in Austria. The academization of psychotherapy training might change this in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:34:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-535f127185a346b191d56ccba71b8a14 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:34:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-535f127185a346b191d56ccba71b8a142022-12-22T00:18:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-06-011211910.1038/s41598-022-13266-2A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in AustriaB. Nussbaumer-Streit0A. Jesser1E. Humer2A. Barke3B. K. Doering4B. Haid5W. Schimböck6A. Reisinger7M. Gasser8H. Eichberger-Heckmann9P. Stippl10G. Gartlehner11C. Pieh12T. Probst13Department for Evidence-Based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education KremsDepartment for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, University for Continuing Education KremsDepartment for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, University for Continuing Education KremsClinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-IngolstadtBrandenburg Medical School Theodor FontaneAustrian Federal Association for PsychotherapyAustrian Federal Association for PsychotherapyAustrian Federal Association for PsychotherapyAustrian Federal Association for PsychotherapyPROGESAustrian Federal Association for PsychotherapyDepartment for Evidence-Based Medicine and Evaluation, University for Continuing Education KremsDepartment for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, University for Continuing Education KremsDepartment for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, University for Continuing Education KremsAbstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) means integrating the best available scientific evidence with clinical experience and patient values. Although perceived as important by many psychotherapists, there still seems to be reluctance to use empirically supported therapies in clinical practice. We aimed to assess the attitudes of psychotherapists in Austria toward EBP in psychotherapy as well as factors influencing the implementation of EBP. We conducted an online survey. To investigate attitudes toward EBP, we used two subscales (“Limitations” and “Balance”) of a translated and validated short version of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale-36 (EBPAS-36). Participants provided perceived barriers and facilitators as answers to open-ended questions. We analyzed the responses mainly using descriptive statistics. Open answers were analyzed using a thematic analysis. In total, 238 psychotherapists completed our survey (mean age 51.0 years, standard deviation [SD] = 9.9, 76.9% female). Psychotherapists scored on average 2.62 (SD = 0.89) on the reversed EBPAS-36 subscale “Limitations,” indicating that the majority do not perceive EBP as limiting their practice as psychotherapists. They scored 1.43 (SD = 0.69) on the reversed EBPAS-36 subscale “Balance,” indicating that psychotherapists on average put a higher value on the art of psychotherapy than on evidence-based approaches. Organizational factors such as lack of time and access to research studies as well as negative attitudes toward research and a lack of skills and knowledge kept respondents from implementing EBP. Our study highlights that EBP is still not very popular within the psychotherapy community in Austria. The academization of psychotherapy training might change this in the future.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13266-2 |
| spellingShingle | B. Nussbaumer-Streit A. Jesser E. Humer A. Barke B. K. Doering B. Haid W. Schimböck A. Reisinger M. Gasser H. Eichberger-Heckmann P. Stippl G. Gartlehner C. Pieh T. Probst A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria Scientific Reports |
| title | A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria |
| title_full | A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria |
| title_fullStr | A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria |
| title_full_unstemmed | A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria |
| title_short | A web-survey assessed attitudes toward evidence-based practice among psychotherapists in Austria |
| title_sort | web survey assessed attitudes toward evidence based practice among psychotherapists in austria |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13266-2 |
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