Current progress and future plans for developing effective treatments: comments and perspectives

Abstract

Examined the conclusions and implications of articles in this special issue. Treatments can be differentiated on their empirical basis and, for the problems reviewed, one can identify treatments of choice. To build on the documented advances, we provide a blueprint for progress in treatment research. The blueprint focuses on a series of steps that involve conceptualization of clinical dysfunction and treatment, supportive research on these conceptual views, careful specification of treatment, evaluation of treatment outcome, and tests of mediators and moderators of treatment. To improve research, we recommend expanding assessment, addressing a broad range of questions about treatment, attending to measures of clinical significance, replicating key findings, and investigating the transportability of the findings to service-oriented clinical settings.