Psychologists' Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practices: An Online Study with Child Mental Health Psychologists

Psychologists' attitudes towards Evidence -Based Practices (EBPs) may have an impact in adhering to such practices. The purpose of this study was to analyse the psychometric characteristics of the Portuguese version of the Evidence Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) (Aarons, 2004). This study also aims to characterize the attitudes of psychologists working in the field of child mental health and analyze the differences in these attitudes according to therapeutic approaches and professional experience. A sample of 71 (93% female) Portuguese psychologists (age M = 37.07, SD = 10.68) completed an online assessment protocol that included the EBPAS and a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic information, therapeutic approaches, and professional experience. The results support the construct validity and reliability of the measure. Portuguese psychologists seem to have more favorable attitudes towards EBPs compared to samples from other countries. When evaluating the differences in these attitudes considering the different variables, the results indicate that psychologists adopting a Cognitive -Behavioral orientation and with less years of professional experience show more favorable attitudes towards EBPs. This research contributes to a wider understanding about the factors that may influence psychologists' attitudes towards EBPs and thus allow for more effective dissemination and implementation efforts.