If It Works for Pills, Can It Work for Skills? Direct-to-Consumer Social Marketing of Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments

Abstract

The emergence of evidence-based psychological treatments (EVPTs) is a scientific success story, but unfortunately the application of these empirically supported procedures has been slow to gain ground in treatment-as-usual settings. This Open Forum commentary argues that direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, which has worked well in communicating the advantages of various medicines, should perhaps be considered for use in social marketing of EVPTs. DTC marketing of pharmaceuticals is a long-standing advertising strategy in the United States. In fact, DTC marketing of psychotropic medicines is quite a success story. The authors recommend various strategies for using marketing science to devise DTC advertising of EVPTs, discuss previous research on DTC campaigns, and describe initiatives launched in the United Kingdom and Europe to promote EVPTs. Suggestions for evaluating and regulating DTC marketing of EVPTs are included. Finally, the potential for DTC marketing of EVPTs to increase mental health literacy and reduce health disparities is explored.

Impressions of “Evidence-Based Practice”: A Direct-to-Consumer Survey of Caregivers Concerned About Adolescent Substance Use

“…One promising and largely untapped patient-directed strategy that has been gaining attention in the treatment literature is direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing (Becker, 2015; Gallo et al, 2013; Szymanski, 2012). Within the context of behavioral treatment, the goal of DTC marketing is to shape patient treatment-seeking behavior in order to increase the utilization of treatment in general and EBP in particular (Friedberg & Bayar, 2017; Gallo, Comer, Barlow, Clarke, & Antony, 2015).…”

Understanding of evidence‐based mental health care and the perceived importance of scientific information in a sample of U.S. adults

“…Historically, efforts to increase the utilization of EBMHC have predominantly focused on providers and organization (e.g., training front‐line therapists and organizational leaders in EBMHC; Gallo, Comer, & Barlow, ). Thus, in recent years, there has been increased recognition of the need to address consumer barriers (e.g., lack of understanding as to when treatment is needed) through consumer‐directed strategies such as direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) marketing (Becker, ; Brecht, Swift, Worrall, & Parkin, ; Friedberg & Bayar, ; Ponzini & Schofield, ).…”

Awareness of and attitudes toward CBT, DBT, and ACT in an acute psychiatric sample

“…Application of DTC marketing strategies aimed at increasing engagement with EBPTs is an idea advocated for in a special series in the journal Behavior Therapy (Santucci, McHugh, & Barlow, 2012) as well as several subsequent reviews and commentaries (Becker, 2015;Friedberg & Bayar, 2017;Gallo, Comer, & Barlow, 2013). Although empirical research on DTC marketing for EBPTs has been limited, initial randomized controlled trials have suggested that exposure to an advertising campaign highlighting the potential benefit of psychotherapy results in increased intention to pursue psychological treatment (Gallo, Comer, Barlow, Clarke, & Antony, 2015), reduced perceptions of public stigma, and increased preferences for psychotherapy over medication (Brecht, Swift, Worrall, & Parkin, 2017).…”