Understanding of evidence-based mental health care and the perceived importance of scientific information in a sample of U.S. adults

Amplifying consumers as partners in dissemination and implementation science and practice

Background

This Viewpoint argues for consumers (people with lived experience and their families) to be amplified as key partners in dissemination and implementation science and practice.

Method

We contend that consumer opinion and consumer demand can be harnessed to influence practitioners and policymakers.

Results

Amplifying consumers' voices can improve the fit of evidence-based interventions to the intended end user. We offer recommendations of frameworks to engage consumers in the dissemination and implementation of health interventions. We discuss the primary types of evidence consumers may rely upon, including testimonials and lived experience.

Conclusions

Our intention is for this Viewpoint to continue the momentum in dissemination and implementation science and practice of engaging consumers in our work.

Correlates of Dampening and Savoring in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Chronic worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms are associated with infrequent savoring, and high dampening, of positive emotions. The goal of the present study was to investigate the indirect role of GAD-relevant processes, including intolerance of uncertainty (IU), fear of negative emotional contrasts, and negative beliefs about positive emotion and its regulation, in the relationship between GAD symptom severity and the tendency to engage in dampening and not savor positive emotions. Community participants (N = 233) completed questionnaires online.

In separate models, IU, fear of negative emotional contrasts, and negative beliefs about positive emotion and its regulation fully mediated the relationships between GAD symptom severity and greater dampening and lower savoring. However, controlling for depression, only IU remained a significant mediator. A post hoc latent analysis of the mediators provided support for an underlying construct that may reflect intolerance of uncomfortable states. Intolerance of uncomfortable states was found to significantly mediate the relationship between GAD symptoms and greater dampening and lower savoring. Difficulty withstanding uncertainty may be particularly relevant in understanding why people with elevated GAD symptoms engage in efforts to avoid experiencing positive emotions. Further, the findings suggest that there may be a common factor underlying a variety of GAD-associated constructs reflecting a broad intolerance of uncomfortable inner states. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Adolescent Behavioral Health Problems are Associated with Parent Perceptions of Evidence-Based Therapy and Preferences when Seeking Therapeutic Support

Informational materials from psychological associations often encourage parents to seek out "evidence-based therapies" (EBTs) to address their child's behavioral health concerns. This study examined whether parents concerned about their adolescents' substance use had distinct preferences for EBT principles and marketing language based on their adolescent's specific behavioral health problems. Parents (N = 411; 86% female; 88% non-Hispanic White) of adolescents (age 12-19 years) completed an online direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing survey as part of a larger multi-phase study. Parents reported their adolescents had high rates of current externalizing (66%), internalizing (51%), substance-related (39%), and legal (25%) problems. Parents answered questions about their perceived definition of EBT, whether they valued underlying EBT principles (i.e., reliance on a proven approach vs. a varied approach), their preferred terms for describing EBT, and factors they considered when choosing a therapist. Most parents defined EBT correctly, regardless of their adolescent's behavioral health problems. Parents of adolescents with internalizing or legal problems were less likely to value EBT principles, with legal problems emerging as the more important multivariate predictor. Additionally, parents of adolescents with substance-related or legal problems had distinct preferences for the terms used to describe EBTs. Finally, parents of adolescents with externalizing problems had distinct preferences for factors they considered when choosing a therapist. Psychologists and psychological associations seeking to disseminate information about EBTs to parents can utilize these DTC marketing-informed results to tailor outreach strategies based on adolescent behavioral health problems.

Improving the reach of clinical practice guidelines: An experimental investigation of message framing on user engagement

Despite strong evidence for the efficacy of PTSD treatments, most affected individuals are not receiving these treatments, in part because they may not know that evidence-based treatments exist. The American Psychological Association published a website to disseminate information about their Clinical Practice Guideline for treating PTSD. In Study 1, Google Optimize was used in a field study to examine whether altering the subheadings to three of the website pages would increase site visitor engagement. On the main page and page describing treatments, no subheading alterations improved engagement. On the Patients and Families page, the subheading "say goodbye to symptoms" improved engagement on three outcome variables, including clicking a link to find a psychologist (though there were a small number of clicks). In a preregistered conceptual replication in a sample not actively seeking information about the PTSD guideline (N=578), results did not replicate. Results highlight challenges of evidence-based treatment information dissemination.