An Introduction to Clinical Research in Psychiatry

The evaluation of psychiatric disorders and the delivery of mental health services is grounded in clinical research. Findings from published studies in scientific journals are translated by clinicians into changes in daily practice. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals read original research reports and case studies in journals, and often attend scientific meetings where the latest research findings are presented. Yet despite their extensive education and experience, most psychiatrists do not have sufficient training in clinical research methods to evaluate critically the latest findings. Blazer and Hays have written this primer to acquaint practitioners and residents with the basic methodology of study design. The book covers single-subject studies, description studies (such as case registers and population-based surveys), community surveys, cohort and case-control studies, longitudinal studies, population genetic studies and clinical trials. The focus is on clinical research in which the patient is the unit of analysis. The two authors write in clear style, uncluttered by technical jargon, so that their book will be accessible to readers with little or no grounding in clinical research methods. The theoretical presentation is illustrated with examples from published studies which highlight the problems typically encountered by clinicians involved in patient-oriented research in psychiatry. Introduction to Clinical Research in Psychiatry employs an interactive, problem-based approach to introducing epidemiologic methods, which has been successfully tested in a course the authors taught at the Duke University School of Medicine. The book is designed primarily for mental health care professionals with little experience in research methods, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and others working in mental health centers, hospitals, and psychiatric ambulatory care centers.