Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Caregiver Perceptions of Clinical Decision-Making for the Treatment of Children

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many sources of information impact one’s clinical decision-making (CDM) (e.g. clinical intuition, previous experience, research results). Relatively little is known about the clients’ perspectives of these factors. The current study is an examination of perceptions of the favorability of various CDM influences held by caregivers of children presenting for mental health treatment (n = 371). Responses to a questionnaire showed that caregivers overwhelmingly favored a treatment decision based on current scientific research, with one’s clinical experience being the second most favored influence. Other influences, such as colleague consultation and clinical intuition, were less favorable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Allen, B., Gharagozloo, L., & Johnson, J. C. (2012). Clinician knowledge and utilization of empirically-supported treatments for maltreated children. Child Maltreatment, 17, 11–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychologist, 61(4), 271–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, T. B., McFall, R. M., & Shoham, V. (2009). Current status and future prospects of clinical psychology: Toward a scientifically principled approach to mental and behavioral health care. Psychological Science in The Public Interest, 9(2), 67–103.

    PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, J. M., Schnurr, P. P., Biyanova, T., & Coyne, J. C. (2009). Apples don’t fall far from the tree: Influences on psychotherapists’ adoption and sustained use of new therapies. Psychiatric Services, 60(5), 671–676.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, S. L., & Mash, E. J. (1999). Assessing social validity in clinical treatment research: Issues and procedures. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 308–319.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudiano, B. A., Brown, L. A., & Miller, I. W. (2011). Let your intuition be your guide? Individual differences in the evidence-based practice attitudes of psychotherapists. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 17(4), 628–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lucock, M. P., Hall, P., & Noble, R. (2006). A survey of influences on the practice of psychotherapists and clinical psychologists in training in the UK. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13(2), 123–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donohue, W., Fisher, J. E., Plaud, J. J., & Link, W. (1989). What is a good treatment decision? The client’s perspective. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 20(6), 404–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, L. R., Herbert, J. D., & Redding, R. E. (2008). The role of critical thinking skills in practicing clinical psychologists’ choice of intervention techniques. Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 6(1), 21–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, R. E., & Chambless, D. L. (2007). Does psychotherapy research inform treatment decisions in private practice? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(3), 267–281.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tiano, J. D., Grate, R. M., & McNeil, C. B. (2013). Comparison of mothers’ and fathers’ opinions of parent-child interaction therapy. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 35, 110–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian Allen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Allen, B., Varela, A. Caregiver Perceptions of Clinical Decision-Making for the Treatment of Children. Community Ment Health J 51, 828–832 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9871-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9871-7

Keywords

Navigation