The Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE) produces systematic reviews that aim to identify and promote evidence-based psychological health practices in the Military Health System using well-established and rigorous methods:

• The Cochrane approach to conducting systematic reviews
• The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach to evaluating the quality of evidence
• Partnership with Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC)

Read more in frequently asked questions about our systematic reviews.

Reports

• Prediction models for suicide attempts and deaths: A systematic review and simulation (peer-reviewed publication)
• Present‐centered therapy (PCT) for post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults (full report)
• Posttraumatic stress disorder treatment dropout among military and veteran populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis (peer-reviewed publication)
• A systematic review evaluating screening instruments for gambling disorder finds lack of adequate evidence (peer-reviewed publication)
• Advances in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review (peer-reviewed publication)
• Gender differences in response to alcohol use disorder treatment (full report)  

In Progress Reports

• Evidence map of professional peer-to-peer interventions (registered protocol)
• Interventions for adults with co-morbid alcohol use and depressive disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol (registered protocol)
• Sleep management in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a systematic review (registered protocol)
• Adjustment Disorders: A systematic review on predictors and prognosis
• Systematic review and meta-analysis of asynchronous post-discharge caring contacts in the prevention of suicidal behavior
• Systematic review of peer support in the treatment of alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder

Systematic Reviews of Psychological Health Research to Address Gaps in Practice (Southern California EPC – RAND Corporation)

An ongoing series of systematic reviews focused on improving the identification and implementation of evidence-based treatments and approaches for psychological health conditions often experienced by service members. In accordance with the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act the current effort aims to address variability in health care practices and outcomes to improve quality of care, patient safety, and patient satisfaction.

• Provider Burnout: Definition, prevalence, risk factors, treatment, and prevention (in progress)
• Interventions for people who have attempted suicide and their family members (in progress)
• Predictors of PTSD treatment retention and response (in progress)
• Methods for identifying research gaps, establishing research needs, and determining research priorities (in progress)
• Full report: The Use of Technology to Augment Clinical Care in Depression and Anxiety Disorders (2019)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: The Use of Technology in the Clinical Care of Depression: An Evidence Map
• Full report: Provider Interventions to Increase Uptake of Evidence-based Treatment for Depression (2018)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Elusive Search for Effective Provider Interventions: A Systematic Review of Provider Interventions to Increase Adherence to Evidence-based Treatment for Depression
• Full report: Effects of Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder on Functional Outcomes (2018)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Effects of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder on Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Evidence Syntheses of Key Complementary and Alternative Medicine Topic Areas (Southern California EPC – RAND Corporation)

A series of systematic reviews focused on determining the efficacy, comparative effectiveness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and integrative medicine (IM) approaches for psychological health conditions. The goal of this effort is to inform the VA/DOD clinical practice guidelines, as well as to address the recommendations from the Defense Health Board and Institute of Medicine to concentrate implementation efforts on evidence-based interventions.

Meditation-based Interventions

• Full Report: Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (2017)
  • Peer-Reviewed Publication: Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Full report: Meditation for Major Depressive Disorder (2015)
• Full report: Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain (2015)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Full report: Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Substance Use Disorders (2015)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention for Substance Use Disorders:  A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Full report: Mindfulness Meditation for the Treatment of Tobacco Use (2017)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Needle Acupuncture Interventions

• Full report: Needle Acupuncture for Substance Use Disorders (2015)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Acupuncture for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Full report: Acupuncture for Major Depressive Disorder (2015)
• Full report: Needle Acupuncture for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (2017)
  • Peer-reviewed publication: Acupuncture for the Treatment of Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis