MindSpec’s Evidence Categories

A treatment option is considered evidence-based if it has gone through the rigors of scientific testing. A few characteristics of a well-designed scientific study include:

• An adequate number of individuals in the study
• Proper control groups
• Random assignment of individuals to treatment and control groups
• Blind data collection (neither the individual, if possible, nor the investigator should know which treatment group the individual is from)

Some emerging treatments have yet to undergo scientific validation. While these untested treatments may eventually prove to be useful, it’s important to recognize the difference between an established, evidence-based treatment and one that is potentially unsafe or ineffective.

Evidence Legend
	Research-supported – a therapy with the highest level of evidence for safety and effectiveness based on rigorous scientific research and well-controlled clinical trials.
	Promising – a therapy that is being actively researched in scientific studies and clinical trials with promising results
	Suggestive – a therapy that has been known for some time but is not actively researched at present OR a novel therapy having current research of one or two preliminary studies showing suggestive results
	No evidence available – a therapy that lacks any evidence-based support for effectiveness or safety