The Matrix is designed to support evidence based practice of the delivery of psychological therapies and interventions through 4 key elements

Overview of Psychological Services in Scotland

Key policies and principles guiding the provision of effective psychological services in Scotland.

Evidence Summaries

Provide an accessible overview of the current evidence in relation to the psychological therapies and interventions which offer best outcomes for a range of presentations and difficulties.

Explore the Recommended Interventions & Therapies

Interventions included in the evidence tables are reviewed in detail to enable services to consider the ‘goodness of fit’ of the intervention for their context.

Supports for Training and Implementation

Outlines key factors affecting the successful implementation of evidence based practices, including training, supervision structures, data systems and leadership.

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This site is under development. Where content is absent or incomplete, please refer to The Matrix (2015)

What is The Matrix?

The ambition, as set out by the Scottish Government is that everyone has timely access to high quality, person-centred, evidence-based psychological therapies and interventions that effectively improve health, mental health and wellbeing when needed by the people of Scotland.  The Matrix supports this by providing guidance on the evidence for effective and accessible delivery. It's goal is to ensure the right therapy or intervention, is available at the right time, delivered by a well-trained and supported workforce, and provided as efficiently as possible. Below you will find a short video providing an introduction to the Matrix:

Learn more about how The Matrix can support services in Scotland

Understanding the Evidence Summaries Included in The Matrix

This section offers an overview of the rationale for topics included in The Matrix. It describes the processes determining what appears in the evidence tables, introduces the Hexagon Tool, and presents detailed assessments of each recommended intervention.

The topics are designed to provide a summary of the information on the evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological approaches for different groups of people e.g. different stages of the lifespan or in different settings. The topics are not exhaustive. We work with the needs of stakeholders to develop topics over time. Please contact us at psychology@nes.scot.nhs.uk with suggestions.

Understanding the evidence summaries included in The Matrix

Below you will find a video providing an introduction to the evidence summaries included in the Matrix:

Understanding the Intervention Summaries Included in the Matrix

Information about the interventions included in The Matrix is structured around The Hexagon Tool (Metz, A. & Louison, L. 2019). Below you will find a short video which provides information about The Hexagon Tool including:

The 6 indicators of The Hexagon used to describe interventions included in The Matrix
How the 3 Programme Indications Usability, Supports and Evidence, are rated
How the guided questions within the Implementing Site Indicators help the user rate Fit, Capacity and Need

Matrix Orientation Webinar

The video below is a recording of one of our Matrix orientation webinars, delivered in Spring 2024. The webinar gives a brief overview of The Matrix and a walk-through of the site itself:

FAQs about The Matrix

Find the frequently asked questions about The Matrix here

If you have any questions about The Matrix, please contact us at psychology@nes.scot.nhs.uk