Significance of Leaders for Sustained Use of Evidence-Based Practices: A Qualitative Focus-Group Study with Mental Health Practitioners

Evidence-based practices that are implemented in mental health services are often challenging to sustain. In this focus-group study, 26 mental health practitioners with high fidelity scores were interviewed regarding their experiences with implementing the illness management and recovery, an evidence-based practice for people with severe mental disorders, in their services and how this could influence further use. Findings indicate that high fidelity is not equivalent to successful implementation. Rather, to sustain the practice in services, the practitioners emphasized the importance of their leaders being positive and engaged in the intervention, and hold clear goals and visions for the intervention in the clinic. In addition, the practitioners’ understanding of outcome monitoring as a resource for practice improvement must be improved to avoid random patient experiences becoming the decisive factor in determining further use. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02077829. Registered 25 February 2014.