The Role of Treatment Methods in Evidence-based Psychological Practice

In 1995, a report from the American Psychological Association on empirically supported treatments (ESTs) boosted the understanding that evidence-based practice rested on the premise of matching treatments with diagnoses. Evidence-based psychological practice (EBPP) was developed partly in response to this premise and described a broader foundation for good practice. However, EBPP did not give clear answers on the role and significance of treatment methods in evidence-based practice. The question remains and has implications for the organisation of service delivery to people with mental disorders. The goal of this article is to explore how clinicians could reason when faced with the question of which treatment method to choose. Even though treatment methods may not differ notably in outcomes, there is still a need to establish their efficacy through research before integrating them into service delivery systems. Moreover, uncertainties exist regarding what the healing elements of psychotherapy are, as do challenges regarding the classification and conceptualisation of mental disorders. Individual adaptation is an essential feature of EBPP, which implies that EBPP should be conceptualised as a dynamic process of hypothesis-based testing of methods in consultation with the client. Keywords: diagnoses, psychotherapy, treatment methods, evidence-based practice