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Needs and Attitudes Related to the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices Among Latinx Mental Health Professionals

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Abstract

Empirically supported interventions are warranted to achieve desired clinical outcomes and improve service delivery. Thus, efforts to identify, adopt, and implement Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) are underway across various Latinx communities, including Puerto Ricans, where there is a growing recognition and prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders. This study investigated the needs and attitudes toward EBPs among an interdisciplinary sample of mental health professionals in Puerto Rico. An anonymous survey was distributed to social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors (N = 237). Using structural equation modeling, four dimensions of attitudes towards EBPs (openness, divergence, appeal, and requirement) were regressed on various individual and organizational factors. Some socio-demographic characteristics, educational opportunities, and organizational factors significantly contributed to specific attitudes related to the adoption of EBPs. Female participants and those working in rural settings scored higher in the openness to innovation dimension. Greater organizational support and graduating from a private institution were associated with more divergence from research, while married individuals and those trained on EBPs scored lower on this dimension. The lack of exposure to EBPs in college and younger age predicted greater interest in the appeal of adopting an EBP intervention (i.e., would adopt an EBP if it made sense). No differences in attitudes toward EBPs were found by professional discipline or work setting (i.e., clinical, community, and schools). Recommendations to increase openness and interest in the appeal of EBPs among Spanish-speaking professional communities in Latin America are highlighted.

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Acknowledgements

The principal investigator gratefully acknowledges the support from the College of Social Work Professionals in Puerto Rico (CPTSPR), the Professional Counselors Association (CPCR), and the Psychology Association of Puerto Rico (APPR) in the recruitment of mental health professionals for this study.

Funding

This project was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (Grant no: SM083355).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, 8th floor, suite 830, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Natalia Giraldo-Santiago

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Natalia Giraldo-Santiago

  3. Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Robin E. Gearing, Christian Carr & Sarah C. Narendorf

  4. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo

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  1. Natalia Giraldo-Santiago
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  5. Sarah C. Narendorf
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Correspondence to Natalia Giraldo-Santiago.

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Giraldo-Santiago, N., Gearing, R.E., Carr, C. et al. Needs and Attitudes Related to the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices Among Latinx Mental Health Professionals. Adm Policy Ment Health 50, 781–791 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-023-01278-7

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