The evidence for and against evidence-based practice

Over the years, there have been many develop-ments and changes in the way that social interventions and clinical treatments have been delivered, including the introduction of behav-ioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies (e.g., Lazarus, 1971; Thomas, 1967), the move toward time-limited, task-structured interventions (Mullen, Dumpson, & Associates, 1972; Reid & Epstein, 1972), and the use of manuals that guide what practitioners can and cannot do (Luborsky & DeRubeis, 1984). Each in its time generated considerable debate, some of it quite heated. However, it is probably safe to say that no innovation has generated as much argument and heat as the introduction of evidence-based practice (EBP) and policy. EBP has been both heralded as one of the major advances in health care, education, criminal justice, and the human services, promising to revolutionize both policymaking and practice (e.g., Gambrill, 1999