TY  - JOUR
AB  - Meta-analysis is a procedure that combines results of different clinical studies with the aim of reaching a single “reliable” quantitative index that overcomes the intrinsic limits of single studies. The conclusions of a meta-analysis are reliable only when high quality studies with homogeneous groups of participants and similar methods of study have been included. Nevertheless, this does not always occur and, as a consequence, some meta-analyses reach non-significant clinical or even misleading conclusions. This outcome is particularly likely in the field of psychological treatments. In this work, taking as an example some meta-analyses that did not find significant differences in the outcome of psychological treatments for eating disorders, although single well-conducted studies found that some psychological interventions are more effective than others, we describe the most common improper uses of this procedure. Since meta-analyses have the power to influence health policy and clinical practice, we also report some suggestions to improve the quality of those who assess the effects of psychological treatments.
AU  - Dalle Grave, Riccardo
AU  - Calugi, Simona
DO  - 10.32044/ijedo.2019.09
KW  - meta-analysis
systematic review
limits
psychological treatments
randomized controlled trial
difficulties
recommendations
eating disorders
L1  - internal-pdf://3829176321/ijedo-2019-09.pdf
PY  - 2019
SE  - 61
SN  - 2612-6354
SP  - 61-65
ST  - Meta-analisi dei trattamenti psicologici: fonte di informazioni o di confusione?
T2  - Ijedo
TI  - Meta-analisi dei trattamenti psicologici: fonte di informazioni o di confusione?
VL  - 1
ID  - 2487
ER  -