How we evaluate evidence

Last updated: May 24, 2026

Not all evidence carries the same weight. This page explains the sources Shrinkopedia draws on and how we weigh them.

The evidence we use

Shrinkopedia is built from primary, authoritative sources, not from other websites. The main ones are the DSM-5-TR and the ICD-11, clinical practice guidelines such as those from NICE and the American Psychiatric Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, systematic reviews including Cochrane reviews, and peer-reviewed research.

How we weigh it

When sources disagree, or when the evidence is stronger in one place than another, we lean on a hierarchy. Strongest first: systematic reviews and meta-analyses, then clinical practice guidelines, then randomized controlled trials, then observational and cohort studies, and last, expert opinion and clinical consensus. Where a claim rests only on weaker evidence, we say so rather than presenting it as settled.

Evidence-strength ratings

Every entry carries an evidence-strength rating, Strong, Mixed, or Limited, so you can see at a glance how settled a topic is. Strong means consistent, good-quality evidence. Mixed means the evidence points somewhere but isn't consistent, or a topic is well described clinically without a large research base behind it. Limited means there's little solid evidence either way, and we say so plainly.

Every rating is public. The state of the evidence report counts them across the whole encyclopedia and lets you download the full dataset.

Evidence changes

What counts as the best evidence today can shift. When the evidence behind an entry moves, the entry is revisited and its dates are updated. Our Corrections and updates page explains how that works.