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Related Experiment Videos

Where Is the Evidence for "Evidence-Based" Therapy?

Jonathan Shedler1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80045, USA.

The Psychiatric Clinics of North America
|May 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Assessment·2012

Evidence-based therapies, often manualized treatments like cognitive behavior therapy, are not scientifically proven superior and show limited long-term benefits. Research suggests these "weak treatments" may be oversold, with questionable practices distorting outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Psychotherapy Research
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Evidence-based therapy is often equated with manualized treatments, particularly brief cognitive behavior therapy.
  • These therapies are widely promoted as scientifically validated, superior to alternatives, and the benchmark for mental healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the scientific evidence supporting claims of efficacy and superiority for evidence-based therapies.
  • To assess the long-term effectiveness and patient outcomes associated with manualized psychotherapies.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research on manualized psychotherapies.
  • Critical examination of research methodologies and reporting practices in psychotherapy outcome studies.

Main Results:

Keywords:
AnxietyCBTCognitive behavior therapyDepressionEmpirically supported therapyEvidence-based therapyPsychotherapyPsychotherapy outcome

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  • Research findings do not substantiate claims of superiority for evidence-based therapies over other psychotherapy approaches.
  • Evidence indicates that manualized therapies are often "weak treatments" with limited patient recovery rates.
  • Observed treatment benefits are frequently not sustained over the long term.

Conclusions:

  • The assertion that evidence-based therapies are scientifically proven and represent the gold standard of care is not supported by current research.
  • Questionable research practices may contribute to an inflated perception of the benefits of these therapies.
  • A re-evaluation of the efficacy and limitations of manualized treatments in psychotherapy is warranted.