Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Magy Martin

Abstract

AbstractPrevious research has indicated that evidence-based treatments have proven effective in clinical trials. However, the transfer of desired outcomes from research settings to practice settings reflects a gap in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether differences exist between the attitudes of therapists who work in suburban versus urban settings and who do and not use evidence-based treatments in their attitudes toward evidence-based treatments and perceptions of treatment characteristics. The theoretical framework for this study was the theory of planned behavior. This quantitative study used the evidence-based practice attitude scale to assess therapist attitudes toward evidence-based treatments and the perceived characteristics of intervention scale to evaluate treatment characteristics’ perceptions. A sample of 64 mental health therapists in New York State suburban and urban private practice settings, completed both assessment inventories. This nonexperimental quantitative study used eight two-way ANOVAs to examine whether differences exist between therapist attitudes in suburban versus urban settings toward evidence-based treatments and perceptions of treatment characteristics. The study results revealed no differences between therapists’ perspectives in suburban versus urban settings toward evidence-based treatments and perceptions of treatment characteristics. Understanding the differences between the attitudes and perceptions of therapists in suburban versus urban settings can assist in creating treatments that can be tailored so that the outcomes in practice settings mirror effective results in clinical trials. Favorable treatments are typically implemented with fidelity which contributes to individual growth and leads to social change.

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