[Is evidence-based assessment fact or fiction? A bibliometric analysis of three German journals]

Abstract

Objectives: Despite the ongoing process for the development and dissemination of empirically supported treatments, little attention has been paid to the development of evidence-based diagnostics. The article aims at evaluating diagnostic procedures and instruments in current clinical research in terms of evidence-based assessment.

Methods: Volumes 2006 and 2007 of three German psychological journals "Psychotherapeut," "Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie," and "Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie" were screened for empirical reports and articles dealing with diagnostic issues. 93 articles were identified and evaluated.

Results: Most studies used psychometrically valid and established instruments for assessment. However, diagnostic interviews were relatively scarce, as were multimodal assessments. Measures used for outcome evaluation often lacked evidence of sensitivity to change.

Conclusion: Clinical assessment to date does not meet criteria for evidence-based diagnostics. Implications for research and guideline development are discussed.