Speaker
Description
Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) is a multi-level system of philosophical assumptions, scientific values, and methodological commitments that underlies the development of psychological therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Despite being an evidence-based approach with many benefits, CBS has not been widely disseminated in Low- and Middle-income countries (LMIC). My Independent Study aims to contribute to the research project “Processes of Disseminating CBS in Low- and Middle-Income Countries” by identifying the main strategies, obstacles, and successful strategies from interviewees’ perspectives related to the dissemination of CBS in 11 countries. The original research team is integrated by four members of The ACBS Developing Nations Committee: Claudette Foley, Cheryl Malek, Viliyana Maleva, and Suzy Adel. The supervisor of this Independent Study is Professor Felix Diaz.
The research team conducted 16 interviews with psychologists from 11 different LMIC countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe where the dissemination of CBS is taking place. AUBG student Filippos Kinigopoulos transcribed three interviews, which I later edited. I transcribed the other 13 interviews. The total data set consists of approximately 16 hours of interviews, which were then transcribed into about 105,000 words.
After the interviews were transcribed, I did the thematic analysis of the transcripts using MaxQDA, a qualitative research tool. The findings reveal that the main strategies for the dissemination of CBS across 11 countries are:
Public Events: workshops, conferences, public lectures, training, courses, etc.
Universities: dissemination through the academic route as integrating CBS into the course curriculum and giving lectures
Internet: dissemination of CBS through websites and social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
Research: conducting research related to CBS and its use in different spheres of life
Results of the thematic analysis also showed that the main obstacles to CBS dissemination are a lack of financial support, language barriers, and regulations and certification related to psychologists and psychiatrists. The most prevalent factor that interviewees found successful and that contributes to the successful dissemination of CBS in LMIC countries is networking. This includes collaborations with specialists from the home country or a foreign country, having a strong, reliable team/board, and having opportunities for peer-review and supervision. Some smaller factors that impact successful dissemination include being patient, using dissemination strategies that relate to the unique context (culture), having high-quality, credible trainers, and being passionate about ACT and CBS.
In conclusion, the results suggest that context sensitivity and appropriateness are vital factors in the successful dissemination of CBS. Overall, this study provides some valuable insights into the dissemination of CBS in LMIC countries and can be used to suggest potential strategies for CBS dissemination in other LMIC countries. Further research is needed to explore these findings in other countries and among a larger sample of participants. A question for further reflection is “Is it possible to disseminate CBS in a non-colonial way?”
