The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauds the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for its comprehensive new report that offers recommendations for how to best establish the pathways for psychosocial intervention standards, or non-medication treatments, for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
The report identifies the gap between interventions known to be effective in research settings and the care that is delivered in physicians’ offices, particularly in the context of the changing landscape of healthcare with the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act and Addiction Equity Act and increased emphasis on accountability and measurement.
“The APA commends the IOM report for emphasizing the importance of psychosocial treatments and the substantial need for additional research,” says APA President Renée Binder, M.D. “The ongoing focus on quality improvement and increased use of health information technology will be key to improving outcomes for our patients.”
The report, “Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders: A Framework for Establishing Evidence-Based Standards,” emphasizes incorporating the consumer perspective in the treatment process. Report recommendations include:
“As health care delivery relies more heavily on evidence-based research, we must collectively advance our research knowledge on psychosocial interventions to ensure quality care for our patients,” says APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., MPA. “This report offers a broad strategy for quality improvement and research, and APA is happy to work with all stakeholders to ensure the implementation of these recommendations.”