Evidence-based practice among mental health professionals in Puerto Rico: Attitudes, knowledge, resources, and treatments

The growing prevalence of mental health disorders in Puerto Rico necessitates the use of efficacious mental health interventions, such as Evidence-Based Treatments (EBTs), to promote positive outcomes within this underserved population. This study aimed to describe the use of psychosocial interventions with different levels of evidence for efficacy (i.e., well-established, probably or possibly efficacious, and experimental) among mental health professionals in Puerto Rico (i.e., social workers, psychologists, counselors; N = 237). A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed to analyze data collected between October and December 2021. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to examine differences in the self-reported use of interventions across professional disciplines and agency types. A significant portion of the sample (71.7%) reported using at least one intervention with well-established evidence. Psychologists most frequently used these well-established interventions in their practice, followed by counselors and social workers. Participants working in private agencies also endorsed higher utilization of various EBTs than those in public agencies. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the correlation between favorable attitudes, knowledge, and training on these practices and the self-reported use of specific interventions. Favorable attitudes towards Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) were related to increased use of mindfulness therapy, a well-established intervention. Greater knowledge and training on EBTs were found to correlate with self-reported use of interventions with well-established and probably efficacious evidence. Findings suggest that mental health professionals in Puerto Rico use some well-established EBTs, but the modalities used varied based on a variety of factors. Our findings suggest that increasing knowledge and agency training on EBTs may be an effective way to promote the use of interventions with well-established and probably efficacious evidence. Implications for research, practice, education, and policy development in Puerto Rico are discussed.