How to Conduct a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Psychological Interventions

The number of studies examining relevant research questions is staggering. Each year thousands of new randomized controlled trials are conducted, and endless numbers of epidemiological and experimental studies are published each year. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews can help researchers, but they can also prove useful for consumers and policymakers looking to draw conclusions on multiple studies. Meta-analyses have become a major tool for summarising results of scientific research, and they are widely used for making policy decisions, developing treatment guidelines, and setting priorities for new research. In this course, students will learn why meta-analyses are important and how to carry out the necessary steps to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Relevance of the course
Meta-analyses and systematic reviews are getting more and more important to summarize existing knowledge and translate that knowledge to clinical practice. Understanding and conducting meta-analyses and systematic reviews belongs to the core competencies of all researchers in the clinical field.

Course leader

Prof. Dr. Pim Cuijpers, Dr. Wouter van Ballegooijen, Niko Boumparis

Target group

This course is designed for researchers at Master’s or PhD students and other academic staff who work in the field of mental health care. If you have doubts about your eligibility for the course, please let us know. Our courses are multi-disciplinary and therefore are open to students with a wide variety of backgrounds.

Course aim

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding and insight into how to search for specific studies and randomized controlled trials in existing databases of scientific research.
- Explain why meta-analyses are important.
- Identify research questions which require the use of meta-analyses.
- Apply the methodological skills necessary to analyze reports of earlier studies and assess the quality of these studies.
- Conduct a simple meta-analysis.

Credits info

3 EC
Contact Hours: 45
Do you want to make the most out of your summer? You can combine this course with a course in session 2 to create a 4-week programme.

Fee info

EUR 1150: The tuition fee of a two-week course is €1150. This tuition fee includes:

- Airport pick-up service
- Course excursions
- Orientation programme and welcome
- On-site support and 24/7 emergency assistance
- A transcript of records and certificate of attendance after completing the course
- Meal vouchers to be spent at the university restaurant for either lunch or dinner
- A discounted access to our sport facilities

Scholarships

VU Amsterdam Summer School offers three kinds of scholarships: the Academic Scholarship, the Photographer Scholarship and the Vlogger/Videographer Scholarship. More information can be found on the VU Amsterdam Summer School website.