Generalizabilidad o validez externa de los ensayos clínicos en psiquiatría

Both in clinical and community samples, studies have shown that a significant proportion of adults with psychiatric disorders are typically excluded by eligibility criteria commonly used in clinical trials. This tends to recruit highly selective samples, rather than adults who might be more representative of typical patients. Clinical trials should carefully evaluate the effects of eligibility criteria on the generalizability of their results. The use of stringent exclusionary criteria could limit the representativeness of results.