Psychotherapy training

Abstract

Aim. Evidence-based mental health treatments (EBTs) include psychotherapies that have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of mental health problems. Presently, there is a concerning discrepancy between EBT research and its utilization in community psychiatric and psychological settings. One factor that may contribute to this discrepancy is limited training opportunities on evidence-based psychotherapies available in certain mental health graduate programs. The aim of this study was to better understand this problem. Methods. Mental health graduate training programs were surveyed regarding psychotherapy-related training offered in the respective program. Results. Overall, 168 programs responded with results suggesting variable availability of didactic and practical training on evidence-based therapies. Notably, Master's programs in psychology offered the least EBT training and the most non-EBT training relative to social work programs and doctorate programs in psychology. Conclusion. These findings suggest that incorporating more EBT into training programs, particularly Master's programs in psychology, may facilitate the utilization and dissemination of EBTs to address mental health problems in community settings, thereby improving the quality of patient care.