Clinical Experiences in Conducting Empirically Supported Treatments: GAD

 

Once a drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a result of clinical trials, practitioners have the opportunity to offer feedback to the FDA on any shortcomings in the use of the drug in clinical practice. This survey represents a vehicle whereby practicing psychotherapists can report their clinical experiences using empirically supported treatments (ESTs). It is part of a collaborative effort between Divisions 12 and 29 of the American Psychological Association--the Society of Clinical Psychology and the Psychotherapy Division. This is not only an opportunity for clinicians to share their experiences with other therapists, but also to offer information that can encourage researchers to investigate ways of overcoming these limitations.

This questionnaire provides the opportunity for therapists using cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) in treating GAD to share their clinical experiences about those variables they have found to limit the successful reduction of symptomotology. Although research is underway to determine if other therapies can successfully treat GAD, CBT is the only approach at present that is an EST. However, in order for the field to move from an EST to an evidence-based treatment that works well in practice settings, we need to know more about the clinical experience of therapists who make use of these supported interventions in actual clinical practice. By identifying the obstacles to successful treatment, we can then take steps to overcome these shortcomings.

Your responses, which will be anonymous, will be tallied with those of other therapists and posted on the Division 12 and 29 Web sites at a later time with links made to it from other relevant Web sites. The results of the feedback we receive from clinicians will be provided to researchers, in the hope they can investigate ways of overcoming these obstacles.

It should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete this.