Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The current study explored both the prevalence of CPT use and the process of use across disciplines. Two hundred fifty-five clinicians completed a brief web-based survey that was created expressly for use in this study, addressing CPT usage patterns and demographic information. It was hypothesized that there would be differences in the levels of reported use of CPTs related to discipline (clinical vs. counseling vs. school); that less than half of clinicians surveyed would report use of a CPT for any purpose; that clinicians who are more familiar with the literature on CPTs would be less likely to report regular use of CPTs; that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment and medication titration would be the most commonly reported use of a CPT; and that clinicians practicing in a multidisciplinary setting, in which they have direct consultation with a medical doctor or nurse practitioner who prescribe medications for the treatment of ADHD, would be more likely to report using CPTs. Of the 255 participants who responded to the survey, 59.6% reported using CPTs in their research or clinical practice (Users) and another 5.9% were interested in using CPTs (Interested). Of the 82 non-users (34.5%) that responded to questions about past CPT use, 28% indicated that they had previously used CPTs in their practice. Although no significant difference in usage rates were found based on discipline, degree type, or years in practice, there was a significant difference between Users and Non-users with regard to practice setting and weekly hours of assessment. Specifically, the greatest use of CPTs was reported by individuals in medical hospitals, followed by private practice. Clinicians practicing in a community clinic were less likely than those in other practice settings to report current CPT use. In addition, participants who reported engaging in more than 20 hours of assessment per week were more likely to report using CPTs compared to those who reported less than 20 hours per week of assessment. As hypothesized, the top two reported CPT uses were assessment for ADHD and evaluation of medication effectiveness. Contrary to our hypothesis, CPT Users reported being most familiar with CPT literature. The most frequently reported advantage by clinicians using CPTs was that CPTs are more objective and/or less subjective than parent and/or teacher rating scales. Across groups, the most frequently cited concerns regarding CPTs was low specificity, followed by low sensitivity, lack of validity and lack of reliability.

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