[The use of evidence-based medicine in psychotherapeutic medicine]

This review article gives an overview of the state of the art of evidence-based medicine (EBM) which is contrasted with some central aspects of current psychotherapy research. In the first part, three meanings of EBM are discussed: EBM as a regulative idea, EBM as a codified method and EBM as a sociopolitical movement; it follows an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of randomized controlled trials (RCT). In the second part, the discussions surrounding the meta-analysis of Grawe, the "Consumer Reports" study and the so-called "Empirically Supported Treatments" are touched upon briefly; it follows a discussion of the specific problems of using RCTs in psychotherapy research and of the suggestions for more naturalistic studies in this field.