The Complexity of Becoming an Evidence-Based Group Clinician: Introducing an Evidence-Based Group Treatment Website

Objective: A 5-year journey is described with three organizations that jointly sponsored international teams to produce the first phase of an evidence based group treatment (EBGT) website. The confluence of advances in both the training and research-supported group treatment protocols for common psychiatric and medical indications created the impetus for this resource. As expected, considerable time was invested in creating a consensual agreement on sponsorship responsibilities, goals, structure, development process, and maintenance of the website. Method: Senior authors of disorder-specific meta-analyses testing the differential effectiveness of group treatment protocols published over the past 10 years were invited as content experts for twelve common psychiatric and medical indications. A common codebook was used for these meta-analyses ensuring some degree of comparability although differences in comparators and treatments emerged by disorder. Results: Seven senior authors agreed to summarize and, in some cases, update their meta-analytic findings to illustrate the process for producing content for the EBGT website along with a clinical example and considerations regarding diversity, strengths, and future directions. Two commentaries are provided by group treatment experts. Conclusions: The results illustrate the variability of treatment offerings and the rigor of extant research across common psychiatric disorders. Some disorders and treatments are more mature in producing evidence-based recommendations while others are still emerging. Future directions for the website and concluding thoughts are shared. Highlights and Implications * An evidence-based group therapy treatment website featuring twelve psychiatric disorders and medical indications was modeled after a resource created by the Society of Clinical Psychology (APA Division 12). * Each disorder/indication's webpage includes a summary of evidence-based treatments based upon recent meta-analyses, links to treatment manuals, workbooks/worksheets, key supporting studies, and promising treatments. * The website was born out of recent advances in training and research of group therapy. * High-level summaries of seven of the disorders/indications are featured that include mood disorders (depression and bipolar), anxiety disorders/obsessive-compulsive disorders/and posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, severe mental illness (schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder), substance use