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Psychopathological conditions related to the umbrella-term "depression" are various and often associated with significant impairments of the individual's quality of life. These also cause important costs from the individual, social and economic points of view. Fortunately, professionals operating in the field of mental health have been early involved in the development of interventions, psychological and not, that aim to treat these conditions. Moreover, the efficacy of these interventions has been a target of empirical investigations conducted by the scientific community. These efforts produced an important number of information that the clinician, that want to treat individual suffering from depression, should know and consider in order to provide an optimal intervention. In the attempt to divulgate the principal conclusions that can be drawn from a deepen examination of such material, different institutions developed guidelines with the aim to increase the capacity of clinicians to take informed clinical decisions. In our contribution, we present a summary, not exhaustive, of some relevant aspects of international guidelines related to the the clinical psychologist's practices. In addition, some scientific contributions are illustrated, that reported some empirical evidence recently produced that appear particularly relevant in order to formulate useful indications for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder are two psychopathological conditions often associated with a relevant subjective suffering for the individual as well as a significant impairment of general functioning. The need to care for who is suffering from these disorders led a number of clinicians to develop and/or perfectionate effective interventions. In parallel, the scientific community has been involved in the empirical test of the absolute and relative efficacy of most of these interventions. However, the clinician interested in the topic may often feel confused because of the vastness and the complexity of the specialized literature on this topic. This may be considered one of the motivations that underlined the attempt of some institutions to develop guidelines regarding the treatment of patients suffering from these two disorders. Despite the fact that the aim of these documents is not to dogmatically establish clinical practice standards, these are a valuable material that can help both the patient and the clinician to take informed decisions. In this current contribution, an overview of guidelines developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and by the American Psychiatric Association are provided. Then, some empirical contributions (systematic reviews and meta-analyses), retained especially relevant, are illustrated in order to familiarize the reader with the specialized literature on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition that tends to be chronic. To date, a multiplicity of interventions aiming to treat this disorder exists. The vastness of literature and the difficulty for the clinician to orientate within this context drove several institutions to develop guidelines related to the treatment of OCD. Despite the aim of these guidelines is not to establish clinical standard for professional practice, these provide precious material that aim to take informed decisions. In this contribution, we offer a summary of the guidelines developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and by the American Psychiatric Association as well as a brief overview of their development process. Then, a selection of some relevant contributions is summed up - systematic reviews and meta-analyses-that sometimes supported the process of formulation of recommendations contained in the illustrated guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]