Neuropsychopharmacotherapy: Guidelines

Practicing evidence-based medicine (EBM) requires the ability to evaluate relevant evidence for the purpose of making an evidence-based treatment decision. The need to standardize different therapeutic approaches has encouraged the development of guidelines to advice on the treatment, management, and assessment of psychiatric conditions. Treatment guidelines serve the purpose of gathering and evaluating research data and transform them into comprehensive treatment algorithm. Based on the current status of evidence, algorithms have been combined to form a unified guideline for management. Clinical practice guidelines form the basis of standard clinical practice for all disciplines of medicine, including psychiatry. However, a significant challenge for psychiatry is the incorporation of this new knowledge into the daily work of clinicians. Moreover, there are several potential risks related with use of algorithms and guidelines. The evidence might be insufficient and the consensus panels might express biased opinions. They are often not read or followed because of poor quality or because of barriers to implementation due to either lack of agreement or ambiguity. We briefly review practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia, major depression, and bipolar disorder.