eBASIS for Mental Health Services

(BASIS R34 Trial)

Overseen By Maria Hugh, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

32 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate how an online tool called eBASIS can enhance mental health services in schools. It focuses on improving the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus (CBT+), a well-known therapy method. Participants will be divided into two groups to compare eBASIS with a standard online training setup (eAttention Control). Mental health providers who spend at least two hours supporting students and are registered for CBT+ training in Washington State are ideal candidates for the trial. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative mental health solutions in educational settings.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that eBASIS is safe for mental health services?

Research has shown that eBASIS is part of a digital program designed to improve mental health services using proven methods. Although specific safety data for eBASIS is not available, it is based on practices shown to be safe and effective in other areas of mental health care.

As an online tool, eBASIS does not carry the same safety concerns as medications or medical devices. Users typically find it to be a helpful online resource. Studies on similar digital mental health tools indicate they are generally well-received, with few reports of negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the eBASIS protocol for mental health services because it introduces a fresh approach to implementing evidence-based practices in schools. Unlike traditional professional development that often lacks a behavioral component, eBASIS is designed to boost motivation and volition among providers, improving their attitudes and self-efficacy. This online strategy focuses on changing behavioral intentions, which is often missing from standard training, making it a potentially transformative tool for enhancing mental health services in educational settings. By targeting these psychological factors, eBASIS aims to bridge the gap between training and real-world application, which is a significant improvement over existing methods.

What evidence suggests that eBASIS is effective for mental health services?

In this trial, participants will be assigned to either the eBASIS or eAttention Control arms. Research has shown that eBASIS, an online tool, can enhance people's intentions to change their behavior by focusing on attitudes, social influences, and confidence in their ability to succeed. This method addresses the behavioral aspects often missing from standard training in evidence-based practices. Studies have found that improving these factors can make treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy more effective. The goal of eBASIS is to better prepare and motivate people to adopt and act on mental health practices. Early findings suggest that these strategies can lead to better results by ensuring more effective use of evidence-based practices.

Who Is on the Research Team?

Aaron Lyon, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for clinicians and their clients involved in a mental health program called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus. It's designed to see if an electronic tool, eBASIS, helps with treatment compared to a digital control. There are 32 clinicians and 96 clients participating.

Inclusion Criteria

Registered to receive CBT+ training from the WA State EBP Initiative

I am a mental health provider working in a school for 2+ hours.

Exclusion Criteria

Not applicable.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Preparation/Adoption

Providers receive pre-training experiences designed to prepare them for the implementation of evidence-based practices.

2 weeks

Online training sessions

Action Implementation

Providers engage in the implementation of eBASIS, focusing on improving attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy.

3 months

Ongoing online support and consultation

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in attitudes, self-efficacy, and implementation outcomes.

3 months

Assessments at baseline, immediately after training, and at 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months after training

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• eAttention Control
• eBASIS

Trial Overview

The BASIS Optimization study is testing the effectiveness of eBASIS, an electronic tool aimed at improving therapy outcomes. Participants will either use eBASIS or an electronic attention control while undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: eBASIS Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

eBASIS is an online, optimized, and evidence-based practice agnostic implementation strategy that addresses the behavioral component often missing from standard evidence-based practice training and consultation. It relates to motivation before and volition after the evidence-based practice training and targets behavioral intentions by improving attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. The implementation strategy is designed to be designed to be delivered within the Preparation/Adoption phase immediately prior to the Action implementation in the EPIS model.

Group II: eAttention Control Placebo Group 1 Intervention

eAC is an online control for eBASIS. Providers assigned to eAttention Control (eAC) will receive pre- and post-training experiences designed to mirror those received in eBASIS. These training experiences will be delivered on the same platform and be approximately the same length as the eBASIS but will not contain any eBASIS content or mechanisms of change. The eAC pre-training experience will define, describe, and advocate for evidence-based practice implementation in schools. Content in eAC will be didactic similar to a typical professional development training for providers.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

University of Kansas

Collaborator

Trials

157

Recruited

332,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is becoming increasingly influential in U.S. public mental health care, with the potential to improve mental health practices, although its actual practical benefits may be limited by various barriers.

The study highlights a significant body of literature that critiques EBM and EBP, suggesting that while EBP may serve political purposes and promote accountability in mental health policy, it faces challenges in implementation due to epistemological and organizational issues.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evidence-based practice in mental health: practical weaknesses meet political strengths. Tanenbaum, S.[2019]

The study highlights the importance of using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to assess mental health needs in Washington State, which can guide effective investments in evidence-based programs for children's healthcare.

Implementing GIS for mental health needs assessments can help states identify population needs more accurately, ultimately improving the effectiveness of mental health interventions and policies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evidence-Based Program Service Deserts: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Approach to Identifying Service Gaps for State-Level Implementation Planning. Walker, SC., Hurvitz, PM., Leith, J., et al.[2018]

A study involving 198 school mental health professionals across 107 Michigan high schools found that positive attitudes towards evidence-based practices (EBPs) were linked to greater knowledge of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and higher training completion rates.

The implementation climate and leadership support in schools were lower than typical clinical settings, indicating a need for improved organizational support to enhance the adoption of EBPs like CBT in school mental health services.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individual and organizational factors as predictors of early evidence-based practice adoption in Michigan high schools: Baseline data from an implementation trial. Choi, SY., Rusch, A., Lane, A., et al.[2023]

Among 265,364 veterans with depression, PTSD, or anxiety, those who utilized the Whole Health (WH) system had 2.4 times higher odds of engaging in evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) within a year compared to those who did not use WH services.

Specific WH services were linked to varying levels of increased EBP engagement, with some services showing up to 3.5 times higher odds of participation, suggesting that integrating WH into mental health care could enhance treatment uptake among veterans.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

VHA Whole Health Services and Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies: a Gateway to Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment. Etingen, B., Smith, BM., Zeliadt, SB., et al.[2023]

Over 40 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities adopted the Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program within two years, with 65.1% of trained providers actively delivering the intervention, significantly improving access to mental health care for Veterans, especially in rural areas.

Veterans who completed three or more sessions of Brief CBT showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms, with an average decrease of 4.6 points, demonstrating the efficacy of this therapy in real-world settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Expanding access to evidence-based psychotherapy in VA settings: implementation of the brief cognitive behavioral therapy for depression program. Mignogna, J., Boykin, D., Gonzalez, RD., et al.[2023]

Citations

1.

hca.wa.gov

hca.wa.gov/assets/program/ebp-legislative-report-20241201.pdf

Evidence-Based Practice Institute annual report, 2024

The Evidence-Based Practice Institute's mission is to improve children's mental health and well-being by collaborating with policy and practice ...

2.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2659/

The Evidence for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation

Implementing evidence-based safety practices are difficult and need strategies that address the complexity of systems of care, individual practitioners, senior ...

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samhsa.gov

samhsa.gov/libraries/evidence-based-practices-resource-center

Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center

The Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center provides information and tools to incorporate evidence-based practices into communities or clinical settings.

4.

thenationalcouncil.org

thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024.06.05_CCBHC_EBP-Resource-Guide.pdf

Resource Guide for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices

This guide supports CCBHCs in implementing evidence-based practices using implementation science, which bridges research and real-world ...

5.

tandfonline.com

tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15332985.2018.1511500

Full article: Implementation of evidence-based interventions

This study analyses the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based community mental health services in the form of publicly financed Individual ...