Me. Addis, EVALUATING THE TREATMENT MANUAL AS A MEANS OF DISSEMINATING EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED PSYCHOTHERAPIES, Clinical psychology, 4(1), 1997, pp. 1-11
Psychotherapy manuals evolved from the needs of researchers and are ra
pidly becoming a major medium for disseminating empirically validated
treatments. For manuals to provide an effective means of dissemination
, specific issues must be considered, including (a) efficacy and pract
itioner adherence in research versus clinical practice; (b) the differ
ence between rule-governed adherence to a treatment manual and flexibl
e, integrative practice; and (c) the desired structure and content of
treatment manuals. studies should compare the process and outcome of m
anual-bared treatments in experimental versus clinical settings, and t
he effects of alternative forms of manual-based training. Systematic d
escription of common factors and clinical strategies can also help to
disseminate the effective elements of a treatment.