However, for new psychological interventions, the pathway from development to assessment and dissemination for use in practice does not follow any commonly accepted criteria. There are no specific standards about the type and quantity of evidence required before a new psychological intervention is made available for everyday use.
For pharmacological interventions, market release of new medications is regulated by formal rules and methodological requirements developed by national and international regulatory agencies.
4 Not only are there well defined criteria for establishing efficacy and assessing tolerability and side-effects of new medications, but also marketing authorisation is granted for restricted use, outlining that a positive benefit–harm balance has been established for a specific clinical condition only.
5 An absence of regulatory requirements for new psychological interventions might have several negative consequences. First, newly developed psychological interventions might be disseminated in the absence of evidence about their efficacy and tolerability. Harmful consequences might include: worsening of symptomatology; negative changes in family, occupation, or general adjustment in life; or adverse effects.
6
