Dissemination and Implementation Research in Marriage and Family Therapy: An Introduction and Call to the Field

• Published in: Journal of marital and family therapy Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 183 - 197
• Main Authors: Withers, Mathew C., Reynolds, Jamila E., Reed, Kayla, Holtrop, Kendal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2017
• Subjects: Accreditation; Behavioral Research; Community Relations; Dissemination; Evidence; Family counseling; Family Therapy; Funding; Health education; Health Services Research; Humans; Intervention; Marital Therapy; Marriage; Marriage Counseling; Medical research; Mental health; Outsourcing; Public health; Researchers; Resistance (Psychology); Resource allocation; Students; Studies; System theory; Systems Approach; Therapists; Therapy; Florida; New York; United States > US
• ISSN: 0194-472X; 1752-0606
• DOI: 10.1111/jmft.12196

Despite the considerable resources allocated to research to promote public health, interventions capable of benefiting individuals and families are not finding their way into regular practice. An important avenue for addressing this problem is through dissemination and implementation (D&I) science, a burgeoning research area focusing on translating empirical knowledge into everyday practice. This article begins by suggesting ways in which MFTs are uniquely equipped to contribute to and benefit from D&I research. We will then provide an overview of D&I research, outlines key D&I models, and highlight examples of family intervention research relevant to MFTs using the key models. Finally, we conclude by providing the field with important next steps to advance the presence of MFT research within D&I scholarship.