Measuring Practitioner Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Treatments: A Validation Study

• NCJ Number: 234926
• Journal: Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: April-June 2011 Pages: 166-183
• Author(s): Rindee G.P. Ashcraft; Sharon L. Foster; Amy E. Lowery; Scott W. Henggeler; Jason E. Chapman; Melisa D. Rowland
• Date Published: April 2011
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01DA17487
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Test/Measurement
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study attempted to cross-validate the factor structure of two measures of therapist attitude toward evidence-base treatment.

Abstract

A better understanding of clinicians' attitudes toward evidence-based treatments (EBT) will presumably enhance the transfer of EBTs for substance-abusing adolescents from research to clinical application. The reliability and validity of two measures of therapist attitudes toward EBT were examined: the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (Aarons, 2004), and Attitudes Toward Psychotherapy Treatment Manuals Scale (Addis and Krasnow, 2000). Participants included 543 public sector, master's-level mental health and substance abuse therapists who treat adolescents. Factor analyses generally corroborated factor structures of the instruments found previously. Beliefs that EBTs negatively affect treatment process were associated with relatively low openness to new treatments and with beliefs that EBTs do not produce positive outcomes. (Published Abstract)