Question

In Journal article Self-stigma in PTSD: Prevalence and correlates.

Bonfils, K. A., Lysaker, P. H., Yanos, P. T., Siegel, A., Leonhardt, B. L., James, A. V., Brustuen, B., Luedtke, B., & Davis, L. W. (2018). Self-stigma in PTSD: Prevalence and correlates. Psychiatry Research, 265, 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.004

1. Brief summary of Critical Rapid Appraisal Tool

2. Level of Evidence (hierarchy of evidence)

Answer 1

Critical rapid appraisal tool:

Critical appraisal is integral to the process of Evidence Based Practice. Critical appraisal aims to identify potential threats to the validity of the research findings from the literature and provide consumers of research evidence the opportunity to make informed decisions about the quality of research evidence.

Critical appraisal can occur through a non-structured approach where you critically read the study as you read it, or through a structured approach through the use of a Critical Appraisal Tool (CAT). CAT’s are structured checklists that allow you to check the methodological quality of a study against a set of criteria. An advantage of using a CAT is that you can apply a level of consistency when reviewing a number of studies. However a potential disadvantage is that they may not ask about a potential source of bias that is important for the specific research questions being asked.

1.   Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)
2. Cohort
3. Diagnostic
4. Case Control Studies
5. Cross Sectional Studies
6. Economic Studies
7. Other Quantitative
8. Qualitative
9. Mixed Methods
10. Systematic Reviews

Level of evidence :

A hierarchy of evidence (or levels of evidence) is a heuristic used to rank the relative strength of results obtained from scientific research. There is broad agreement on the relative strength of large-scale, epidemiological studies.

Level of evidence (LOE)	Description
Level I	Evidence from a systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant RCTs (randomized controlled trial) or evidence-based clinical practice guidelines based on systematic reviews of RCTs or three or more RCTs of good quality that have similar results.
Level II	Evidence obtained from at least one well-designed RCT (e.g. large multi-site RCT).
Level III	Evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization (i.e. quasi-experimental).
Level IV	Evidence from well-designed case-control or cohort studies.
Level V	Evidence from systematic reviews of descriptive and qualitative studies (meta-synthesis).
Level VI	Evidence from a single descriptive or qualitative study.
Level VII	Evidence from the opinion of authorities and/or reports of expert committees. Thank

It’s important to recognize that high levels of evidence may not exist for your clinical question. If this is the case, you'll need to move down the pyramid if your quest for resources at the top of the pyramid is unsuccessful.