What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research?
Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) have contributed to improved clinical practice with increased use of effective and life-saving treatments for severe diseases. However, the EBM model is less suitable for psychotherapy research than for pharmacological research and somatic medicine. The randomized contr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.625380/full |
| _version_ | 1831686968792055808 |
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| author | Björn Philips Fredrik Falkenström |
| author_facet | Björn Philips Fredrik Falkenström |
| author_sort | Björn Philips |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) have contributed to improved clinical practice with increased use of effective and life-saving treatments for severe diseases. However, the EBM model is less suitable for psychotherapy research than for pharmacological research and somatic medicine. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) design is an example of experimental methodology, which inevitably has more imperfections in psychotherapy research because psychotherapy RCTs cannot use double-blinding and the treatments tested are composite treatment packages. Long-term psychotherapy for severe and complex mental disorders is especially difficult to study with an RCT design. During the last decades, advanced analytic methods have been developed in psychotherapy process research, which enables investigation of causal connections regarding change mechanisms in psychotherapy. Therefore, we propose that the top of the research evidence hierarchy for psychotherapy should encompass: (1) RCT for circumscribed disorders, (2) cohort studies for complex disorders, and (3) advanced process studies for change mechanisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:49:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6421a8506cc04f84b9fcbe7e9574bc2b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:49:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-6421a8506cc04f84b9fcbe7e9574bc2b2022-12-21T19:46:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-01-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.625380625380What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research?Björn Philips0Fredrik Falkenström1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenEvidence-Based Medicine (EBM) have contributed to improved clinical practice with increased use of effective and life-saving treatments for severe diseases. However, the EBM model is less suitable for psychotherapy research than for pharmacological research and somatic medicine. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) design is an example of experimental methodology, which inevitably has more imperfections in psychotherapy research because psychotherapy RCTs cannot use double-blinding and the treatments tested are composite treatment packages. Long-term psychotherapy for severe and complex mental disorders is especially difficult to study with an RCT design. During the last decades, advanced analytic methods have been developed in psychotherapy process research, which enables investigation of causal connections regarding change mechanisms in psychotherapy. Therefore, we propose that the top of the research evidence hierarchy for psychotherapy should encompass: (1) RCT for circumscribed disorders, (2) cohort studies for complex disorders, and (3) advanced process studies for change mechanisms.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.625380/fullevidencepsychotherapyevidence—based medicinerandomized controlled trialprocess researchexperimental methodology |
| spellingShingle | Björn Philips Fredrik Falkenström What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? Frontiers in Psychiatry evidence psychotherapy evidence—based medicine randomized controlled trial process research experimental methodology |
| title | What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? |
| title_full | What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? |
| title_fullStr | What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? |
| title_short | What Research Evidence Is Valid for Psychotherapy Research? |
| title_sort | what research evidence is valid for psychotherapy research |
| topic | evidence psychotherapy evidence—based medicine randomized controlled trial process research experimental methodology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.625380/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bjornphilips whatresearchevidenceisvalidforpsychotherapyresearch AT fredrikfalkenstrom whatresearchevidenceisvalidforpsychotherapyresearch |