Improving Accurate Detection of Mental Health Treatment Needs for Youth Through a Standardized Feedback Report

Evidence-based assessments (EBAs) are key to accurately detecting youth who would benefit from exposure therapy (EXP), but EBA is underused, and clinicians struggle to know when EXP is appropriate. Improving clinician case conceptualization may improve appropriate use of EXP. We tested whether viewing a simulated feedback report synthesizing results of standardized assessments and implicated treatment recommendations would impact clinicians' case conceptualizations. Using a survey design, 102 clinicians (M age = 36.85, 85% female; 92% master's degree) were randomized to one of four conditions in which they read one of two clinical vignettes describing a teen with either clear or vague youth anxiety symptoms. They then were shown one of two feedback reports suggesting anxiety as the primary treatment target and recommending EXP or a report showing a non-anxiety target. Clinicians who viewed the feedback report suggesting anxiety as the primary target tended to maintain or strengthen their ratings of anxiety as a primary treatment target and were more likely to state they would use EXP as a primary intervention strategy; effects were stronger when the initial case vignette described vague symptoms. Overall, clinicians rated the perceived utility of the report highly. Results of this analog study suggest a diagnostic feedback report may be highly acceptable and impact clinician case conceptualizations for anxious youth. Future work to develop and test this feedback report further is indicated.