EVALUATING THE TREATMENT MANUAL AS A MEANS OF DISSEMINATING EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED PSYCHOTHERAPIES

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.