An Extended 4-Phases-Testmodel for Clinical Trials and its Application on Clinical Psychology Publications in the German-Speaking Countries.

With reference to the concept of evidence-based psychotherapy, methodology of clinical psychology research focuses on the 4-phases-testmodel for clinical trials adapted from pharmacological research and evidence-based medicine. Questions: Can the literature on clinical interventions from the German-speaking countries be classified according to an extended 4-phases-testmodel? On which phases does research focus and how do foci shift in a time span of 30+ years (1977 to 2007). Method: All clinical psychology publications documented in PSYNDEX, the database for psychological publications from the German-speaking countries, were classified to the extended 4-phases-testmodel. The automated classification was inspected manually and corrected if necessary. Results: Overall, 16,741 Publications (ca. 8% of PSYNDEX) received a valid classification. Double classification was possible and allowed. Additional therapy resources like treatment manuals, Professional guidelines and self-help guides were also identified and received a dedicated classification. The figures show the absolute document counts and the longitudinal changes within relative document counts for the respective phases since 1977.