I was recently asked some excellent questions: “Why do evidence-based interventions matter?” and “Why should we care about them”? The short answer is confidence. If you go somewhere to get help for a problem, you want to be confident that the help you get will solve the problem. If you provide that help, you want to know that what you are using works. If you pay for the service, you want to make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
We can have more confidence in programs or services that research proves works. Research also helps us know what that program or service is good at. For example, will a certain intervention for depression help reduce feelings of sadness? Will a program to address anxiety help decrease panic attacks? Will a program designed to help people process a traumatic event decrease upsetting thoughts or dreams?
The biggest reason evidence-based interventions matter is that research shows they work when used to address certain problems or to reach a certain goal. We should care about these types of programs and services because they can make a difference in your life, and in the lives of those that you love.