
American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines
American Psychiatric Association (APA) practice guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Practice guidelines are intended to assist in clinical decision making by presenting systematically developed patient care strategies in a standardized format.
In 2011, APA adopted a new guideline development process to align with recommendations of the Institute of Medicine published in March 2011. Steps in the development process include establishing transparency, managing conflicts of interest, composing work groups, using systematic reviews of evidence, articulating and rating recommendations in guidelines, obtaining external review, and updating. For additional information regarding the new process and a list of the current membership of the APA Steering Committee on Practice Guidelines, please visit theAmerican Psychiatric Association.
Current GuidelinesView All
APA Practice Guidelines Legacy Collection (PDF)
Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
Bipolar Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Delirium
Eating Disorders
HIV/AIDS
Major Depressive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder
Schizophrenia
Substance Use Disorders
Suicidal Behaviors
CME
Guidelines: Evidence in Practice
CME courses on the APA Education Online Website target clinical application of guideline recommendations. Earn between 5 and 8 hours ofAMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ per course.
Resources
Understanding and Improving Mental Health
To find out more about mental health related issues and topics, please visit theAmerican Psychiatric Association.
AACAP
APA guidelines describe treatment of adult patients. For the treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, practice parameters are available from theAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Permissions, Licensing & Reprints
APA makes the practice guidelines freely available here to promote their dissemination and use; however, copyright protections are enforced in full. No part of these guidelines may be reproduced except as permitted under section 107 and 108 of the United States Copyright Act. For permission for reuse, visit ourPermissions and Licensing center.







