Table 3.
Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP Checklists)40 for studies with n>1
| Quality indicator | Aman et al 32* | White and Aman35* |
| Validity of the results | ||
| Study addresses a clearly focused issue | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort recruited in an acceptable way | Yes | Yes |
| Exposure accurately measured to minimise bias | Yes | Yes |
| Outcome accurately measured to minimise bias | Yes | Yes |
| Identification of all important confounding factors | Yes | Yes |
| Design and/or analysis account for confounding factors | No: length of intervention too short to observe treatment effects | No: length of intervention too short to observe treatment effects |
| Complete enough follow-up of participants | No | No |
| Long enough follow-up of participants | No | No |
| Scope of the results | ||
| Description of study results | Yes | Yes |
| Precision of study results | No exact p values, no effect sizes, no differentiation between depressive-like and acting-out group | No exact p values, no effect sizes |
| Believability of study results | Yes | Yes |
| Impact of the results | ||
| Results applicable to local population | Yes | Yes |
| Results in line with available evidence | No | Yes |
| Implications for practice | Length of intervention too short to draw conclusions regarding implications | The study is now outdated given improved knowledge on the risks of the long-term use of the drug |
*CASP Checklists for randomised controlled trials.