Bridging the gap between best evidence and best practice in mental health

Clinical psychology is in a unique position to move beyond a simplistic agenda of outcome assessment to translating that information into a sustainable model of evidence-based practice. The scientist–practitioner model is no longer limited to use of evidence-based treatments in practice, but can extend to using innovative methodologies to assess rates of recovery, monitor patient progress, intervene in the face of poor response, and contribute to the benchmarking of risk-adjusted outcomes. As the scientific conversation about outcomes moves to encompass feedback of information in order to refine management and practice; researchers, policy-makers, clinicians and patients are poised to look further than average group effects. A new emphasis on individual outcome, taking account of clinical characteristics and risk variables, has generated a clinical outcomes agenda that may be directly translated from “bench to bedside”. The current paper addresses the status of evidence-based treatments, measurement of change, patient-focused research and the public availability of risk-adjusted outcomes data; as well as challenges that remain.