{
  "abstract": "The gap between research and clinical practice, known as the scientist-practitioner gap, poses a persistent challenge in clinical psychology. Although existing research suggests that effective engagement with research can be challenging for clinicians, there is limited understanding of the specific barriers, obstacles, and potential solutions as perceived by clinicians themselves. In this focus group study, we explored junior clinicians' perceptions, attitudes, and interactions with clinical research, specifically targeting Dutch mental health psychologists following postgraduate training (n = 32). Through reflexive thematic analysis, we investigated their relation to research in clinical psychology, their perceived value of research, barriers to engagement, and suggestions for the future. Clinicians reported multiple barriers including difficulties in accessing, understanding, and applying research in practice, as well as skepticism about its relevance. We summarize clinicians’ personal opinions and motivations regarding research, systemic issues such as insufficient organizational support, research priorities not matching demands in practice, and methodological limitations of conventional psychotherapy research. With this study, we stressed the need for enhanced communication between researchers and clinicians, methodological considerations, and greater inclusion of clinicians’ perspectives in research processes.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Nina Schwarzbach"
    },
    {
      "name": "Merle-Marie Pittelkow"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lisa Kiltz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sarah Tol"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rink Hoekstra"
    },
    {
      "name": "Theo Bouman"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marieke Pijnenborg"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/615dh9aa9fx71.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.31234/osf.io/au7pc_v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "615dh9aa9fx71",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/au7pc_v1/",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "bepress",
      "Clinical Psychology"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "Social and Behavioral Sciences"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://osf.io/au7pc/download",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/615dh9aa9fx71.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:23Z",
      "native_id": "au7pc",
      "source": "osf",
      "url": "https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/au7pc_v1/"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "bepress:Clinical Psychology",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Misplaced Evidence? A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Clinicians’ Reflections on the Connection Between Psychotherapy Research and Practice",
  "title_text": "Misplaced Evidence? A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Clinicians’ Reflections on the Connection Between Psychotherapy Research and Practice",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/615dh9aa9fx71",
  "venue": "PsyArXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.1037/pri0000333",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}