Clinician Factors Related to the Delivery of Psychotherapy for Youth with Autism and ADHD

Children and adolescents with autism are far more likely than children without autism to experience co-occurring mental health problems such as anxiety or depression. Though evidence-based psychotherapy that addresses mental health problems in youth without autism has been effective for youth with autism (e.g., cognitive behaviour therapy), these youth are less likely to receive such interventions. Recent research indicates that clinician factors, such as knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and beliefs, can impact their decisions to provide care, though this work has primarily focused on adults or within the context of one kind of treatment (CBT). The current study examined psychological predictors of clinicians intention to deliver psychotherapy to youth with autism or ADHD. Participants included 611 clinicians aged 20 to 75 across publicly funded agencies in Ontario, Canada. Multiple mediation analyses revealed clinician knowledge was associated with intention to treat clients with autism or ADHD, and normative pressures and attitudes partially mediated this association. Clinicians felt less likely to treat clients with autism than those with ADHD, partly because of differences in their attitudes and normative pressures, which related to their knowledge. This research suggests that targeted training around autism and mental health care may be a useful initiative for mental health agency staff.