Recent advances in evidence-based psychiatry

Background: There is increasing interest in the potential contribution of e vidence-based medicine to clinical decision making in psychiatry. In this a rticle, we describe some of the recent advances in evidence-based psychiatr y and outline future challenges. Method: Narrative review Content: The successful introduction of evidence-based practice into psychi atry requires the acquisition of new skills by clinicians. It is also impor tant that policy statements that aim to be evidence-based, such as clinical practice guidelines, use vigorous methods to synthesize the primary eviden ce and do not overlook its limitations. One result of the systematic review ing of evidence is the identification of important residual clinical uncert ainties. Primary research can then be focused on these questions. For quest ions regarding therapy in psychiatry, it will he necessary to undertake som e large, simple randomized trials. Making the best available evidence readi ly accessible in a clinical setting, however, remains a significant challen ge. Conclusions: Collaboration between clinicians, researchers, policy-makers, and those involved in information technology is required to optimize the co ntribution of evidence-based medicine in psychiatry.