Investigating Bias in Research

Topics: Understanding Psychiatric Research

Unbiased medical research is essential to the process of informed clinical decision-making. Unfortunately, some degree of research bias is unavoidable, so the best approach to conducting a study is to attempt to minimize bias, wherever possible. Bias in research can be defined as any “condition that produce(s) results which depart from the true val

How to Read a Research Article

Topics: Understanding Psychiatric Research

As a physician, you’re expected to practice evidence-based medicine. But how can anyone keep up with the latest research? While there are lots of secondary sources of information (including The Carlat Report), reading original research articles allows you to reach your own conclusions about each study. But it can also be daunting. In this article I

Overview of the FDA Drug Approval Process

Topics: Understanding Psychiatric Research

After a psychiatric drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a marketing juggernaut often follows, trying to convince us that the newly approved drug offers substantial benefits for treating a mental disorder. But how does the FDA determine whether to approve a drug? What follows is a breakdown of the process. Phases of Clinical

Worksheet: Finding Associations in the Data

Topics: Understanding Psychiatric Research

Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)

Topics: DSM | Neuroscience in Psychiatry | Understanding Psychiatric Research

Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System

Topics: Substance Abuse | Understanding Psychiatric Research

Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2012, nearly 40% of American 12th graders had used it at some point, and one in four had used within the past month. Simultaneously, as the use of marijuana has increased in recent years, the perceived risk from smoking marijuana has decreased (John

Marijuana in Psychiatry

Topics: Substance Abuse | Understanding Psychiatric Research

Understanding Antidepressant Research

Topics: Pharmaceutical Industry | Understanding Psychiatric Research

How to Read a Journal Article

Topics: Practice Tools and Tips | Understanding Psychiatric Research

By Jeffrey S. Barkin, M.D. Dr. Barkin has disclosed that he has no significant relationships with or financial interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity. If you are like most busy psychiatrists, reading journal articles is about as entertaining as filling out treatment authorization forms. The good news is that

Statistical Significance: What Does it Really Mean?

Topics: Understanding Psychiatric Research

You won’t get very far into any journal before you start reading about statistical significance, and its close sibling, 95% confidence intervals. But what do these terms mean, and how do they help us draw conclusions about studies? Because this topic can be numbingly dry in the abstract, we’ll illustrate these basic concepts by reviewing the res

Deciphering Antidepressant Research

Topics: Antidepressants | Understanding Psychiatric Research