Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatment: Advances, Surprises, and Needed Shifts in Foci

- Reviews advances in development of psychosocial treatments.
- Highlights important developments including quantity/quality of research, expansion of conceptual models, development of evidence-based treatment.
- Discusses challenges, including expanding models of delivery so that we can reach the large numbers of unserved individuals in need of services.
- Concludes that our sound base for qualitative changes should reach beyond generating more techniques and demonstrating that they are effective.

In the past 50 years, ABCT and its members have contributed enormously to the development and evaluation of psychosocial treatments. Advances are evident in the quantity and quality of research, expansion of conceptual models, the development of treatments that can span many different clinical problems, the use of technology and social media to deliver treatments, and greater attention to ethnic and cultural issues. Certainly the development of evidence-based psychosocial treatments is a highlight although some surprises have emerged as those treatment multiply. Salient challenges are discussed including disseminating treatment, evaluating moderators in a way that can help clinical practice, understanding precisely how treatments work, and expanding our models of delivery so that we can reach the large numbers of unserved individuals in need of services. Our first 50 years provides a sound base for qualitative changes to go beyond generating more techniques and demonstrating that they are effective.