{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T16:23:42Z","timestamp":1777998222935,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]],"date-time":"2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739750400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT I.P.","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CPCA\/A1\/435377\/2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CPCA\/A1\/435377\/2021"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Healthcare"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The use of scientific evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders is crucial for achieving optimal clinical outcomes and providing high-quality care. This study investigates the knowledge, sources of evidence, and attitudes of Brazilian clinical psychologists regarding evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) and discusses barriers to its implementation. Methods: A total of 696 Brazilian clinical psychologists participated in an online questionnaire designed to assess their understanding of EBPP, their familiarity with scientific platforms\/databases, and their professional development investments. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted, which can be used to identify subgroups of psychologists with similar patterns of professional and training characteristics. Results: The results indicate that while psychologists recognized the importance of EBPP for effective patient care, there was a significant gap in understanding its fundamental principles and concepts. Many participants reported the limited use of scientific databases, missing opportunities to access the latest research advancements. A lower percentage of psychologists consistently implemented EBPP in their clinical practice, highlighting a gap between knowledge and application. Four latent classes emerged from the LCA: I\u2014experienced\/established professional psychologist; II\u2014academic psychologist; III\u2014supervised traditional psychologist; and IV\u2014young professional psychologist. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the need for better integration of EBPP into psychology curricula and continuing education programs. Enhancing clinical psychologists\u2019 understanding and proficiency in EBPP can promote evidence-based decision-making and improve the quality of mental health care in Brazil. Efforts should be made to familiarize psychologists with reliable scientific databases, equip them with skills to critically appraise research, and foster a culture of lifelong learning and professional development. Additionally, it is essential to develop strategies tailored to the distinct profiles of professionals identified in this study, considering their training sources, reference usage, and knowledge of EBPP.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13040431","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]],"date-time":"2025-02-17T10:26:12Z","timestamp":1739787972000},"page":"431","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Knowledge and Use of Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology in the Clinical Practice of Brazilian Psychologists: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8477-3662","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tamara","family":"Melnik","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Evidence-Based Health, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 04023-062, SP, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2855-1360","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge","family":"Sinval","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Evidence-Based Health, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 04023-062, SP, Brazil"},{"name":"Business Research Unit (BRU-IUL), Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Languages of Ribeir\u00e3o Preto, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, Ribeir\u00e3o Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil"},{"name":"National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore"},{"name":"Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8068-2704","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanessa Dordron de","family":"Pinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, RJ, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6799-2599","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Ant\u00f4nio Spencer Hartmann","family":"Junior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6490-5170","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margareth da Silva","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90619-900, RS, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4853-7670","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernanda Machado","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Psychology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florian\u00f3polis 88040-970, SC, Brazil"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Psychological Association (2006). 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