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Abstract: 

The burgeoning use of the term “evidence-based” has appeared in international as well as domestic contexts. National policy groups and legislative committees have gravitated toward evidence-based treatments (EBTs), and governments in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom have commissioned reports that examine the empirical support for psychological interventions. The narrow budgetary parameters typical for government-funded programs have attracted legislators to mental health options that are most likely to produce successful outcomes. Unfortunately, the continued confusion about the definition of evidence-based treatments leads some to wonder if the term still has meaningful value. This article addresses that confusion in the context of a best practices model that shifts attention away from the false dichotomy of science and practice to an emphasis on expertise and data gathered from both.

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Affiliations:  1: Psychological Sciences Master’s Program, James Madison University; 2: Alvin V. Baird Attention & Learning Disabilities Center, James Madison University.