Editorial standards

These are the standards Shrinkopedia holds itself to. They exist so the site can be checked against something concrete, not just trusted on its word.

What counts as a source

Shrinkopedia draws on primary, authoritative material, and not all sources carry the same weight. We use a clear hierarchy.

1. Clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews. These come first. They include guidelines like NICE and systematic reviews like Cochrane reviews, along with the DSM-5-TR and the ICD-11. They represent the closest thing to a settled reading of the evidence.
2. Primary research. Peer-reviewed studies come next. A single study is informative but rarely the final word, so we weigh it against the larger picture.
3. Expert consensus. Where guidelines and research are thin, the considered judgment of clinical experts can fill the gap. It is the weakest of the three, and we label it as such.

If a claim can't be traced to a source at one of these levels, it doesn't go on the page.

Evidence-strength badges

Every entry carries an evidence-strength rating so you know how settled a claim is.

• Strong. Backed by consistent, good-quality evidence, often multiple systematic reviews or clear guideline consensus.
• Mixed. The evidence points somewhere but isn't consistent, the studies disagree, or a topic is well described clinically without a large research base behind it.
• Limited. Little solid evidence either way. We still explain the topic, and we say plainly that it isn't settled.

The rating describes the evidence, not how important the topic is. A Limited rating is an invitation to hold a claim loosely, not to dismiss it.

Medical review

Every entry is medically reviewed for clinical accuracy before it's published. A writer drafts the page, and the Shrinkopedia editorial team, led by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, a board-certified psychiatrist, reviews it. Nothing goes live unreviewed. Every published page names its reviewer and shows the date it was reviewed.

Corrections

We will get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we want to fix it openly.

If you spot an error, write to us at support@shrinknetwork.com. We check the claim against the sources, correct the page if it's wrong, and update the relevant dates so the change is visible. We don't quietly edit a page and pretend the earlier version never existed. A correction that changes the meaning of an entry is treated as a real update, with the dates to match.

Review and update cadence

Evidence moves. Guidelines get revised. New research lands. When the evidence behind a page changes, the page should change too.

Every entry is dated and is revisited when the evidence behind it moves. The four dates on each page (published, medically reviewed, sources checked, last updated) let you see at a glance how current the information is.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Shrinkopedia is part of The Shrink Network, a family of mental health resources founded or medically reviewed by Dr. Refai, which also includes shrinkMD (a psychiatric care practice), the shrinQ educational program, the Unstuck app, and several editorial sites. We disclose that plainly rather than hide it.

What that disclosure means in practice: clinical content on Shrinkopedia is not shaped by commercial interests. What an entry says is decided by the evidence and the medical review, not by whether it helps another part of the network. When an entry links to a sibling site, it's because that site is genuinely relevant, and it appears as a related resource, not as a sales pitch. Shrinkopedia doesn't run ads and doesn't take affiliate commissions.

Plain language and accessibility

Shrinkopedia is written to be readable by a non-clinical reader, including someone reading on a difficult day. We define clinical terms when we use them, keep sentences clear, and avoid jargon for its own sake. We try to make the writing easy to follow without making the content less accurate.

What Shrinkopedia does not do

Shrinkopedia is an encyclopedia, not a clinician.

• It does not give personal medical advice. It explains topics in general; it can't account for your history or circumstances.
• It does not diagnose anyone. Recognizing yourself in an entry is a reason to talk to a clinician, not a diagnosis.
• It is not a substitute for care from a licensed professional.

For the full disclaimer, see the Medical disclaimer page. If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.