Jaffe (2010) reported in the LA Times that three professors (in 2009) charged that mental health practitioners sometimes use antiquated and unproven methods and many psychology training programs lack scientific rigor. Jaffe notes that lead author (Tim Baker) stated too many clinicians favor personal experience rather than research and scientific evidence with regard to treatment plans. Other psychologists argue the type of therapy is less important than the quality of the therapy. That is, as long as the result is consistent with the goals, the specific protocol is arguably less important.
Psychologists not only disagree about the value of specific therapies, they sometimes speak about their colleagues in less than complimentary ways. For example, Jaffe reports that specific clinicians referred to their non-clinician academic colleagues as having "no idea what would be relevant to practice." Jaffe notes the treatment rate for people with mental disorders has nearly doubled in the last two decades and some reports indicate depression and anxiety impact twice as many people as previously believed.
The essence of the debate is founded in how clinical psychologists approach therapy.
Jaffe explains that academics (in general) generally tend to follow the medical model in which each diagnosis should (ideally) correlate to a specifically developed and tested therapy. These same clinicians tend to favor cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that focuses on correcting misguided beliefs and reactions. CBT has been shown to effectively treat anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, bulimia, and drug abuse problems and does so with less relapse than antidepressant medications. CBT often works well in far fewer sessions than traditional psychoanalysis. CBT has its opponents, too, who point out CBT is a "one-size-fits-all" approach and in some CBT studies dropout rates can be as high as 40 percent--leaving only those who are compliant with the protocol. Jaffe notes that practicing therapists (as opposed to academics) prefer less confinement and stronger relationships between therapists and patients through psychodynamic therapies involving the patient's unconscious or humanistic therapies which stress self-determination and Jaffe reports there are many case studies and clinical data which support this approach, too.
Nonetheless, some insurers and health plans have shifted to "outcomes" systems that measure the patient's response to treatment--regardless of the treatment type. That is, the focus may be shifting from the specific treatment protocol to measures of patient improvement.
For More Information, References, and Recommendations
Jaffe E. (2010) Debate Over Cognitive, Traditional Mental Health Therapy. As retrieved online January 11, 2010 from www.latimes.com.
Baker TB, McFall RM, Shoham, V. (2009) Current Status and Future Prospects of Clinical Psychology Toward a Scientifically Principled Approach to Mental and Behavioral Health Care.