Evidence-based policy is being encouraged in all areas of public service ( Black 2001 ). Unprecedented federal legislation reflects a faith in science "as a force for improved public policy" ( Feuer et al. 2002 ). The objective of evidence-based policy is to use scientific research to drive decision making. Thus, the link between social science research and public policy seems to be a natural one. The purpose of this chapter is to address how psychological science in general, and clinical psychology in particular, can be of use to public policy makers. We discuss how psychological science can be relevant and applicable to informing policy, and we describe the role clinical scientists might play in generating, disseminating, and implementing that information. We also note distinct limitations on the usefulness of psychological research in driving public policy. We discuss some pitfalls and recommend areas where clinical psychology might best serve public policy.

中文翻译：

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心理学，心理学家和公共政策。

在公共服务的所有领域都鼓励采用循证政策（Black 2001）。前所未有的联邦立法反映了对科学的信念，“这是改进公共政策的力量”（Feuer等，2002）。循证政策的目的是利用科学研究来推动决策。因此，社会科学研究与公共政策之间的联系似乎是自然的。本章的目的是探讨公共政策制定者如何使用一般的心理学，尤其是临床心理学。我们讨论了心理科学如何与信息交流相关并适用于政策制定，并描述了临床科学家在生成，传播和实施该信息中可能扮演的角色。我们还注意到心理学研究在推动公共政策方面的有用性受到明显限制。我们讨论了一些陷阱，并建议了临床心理学最适合公共政策的领域。