Practice-based evidence: bridging the gap between research and routine clinical practice in diverse settings

This article is an introduction to this special issue dedicated to promoting the building of bridges between research and clinical practice. The purpose of this compendium is to delve into the relevance and possibilities that the Practice-Based Evidence (PBE) paradigm offers, which includes establishing a two-way dialogue between clinical practice and research, through the studies carried out by researchers from different countries and with different backgrounds, their approaches to the construction of knowledge from the ‘bottom up’ and the application of their findings to routine practice. PBE seeks to develop research whose findings are relevant for practitioners in routine clinical settings, from dissimilar countries and cultural contexts, where the central interest is improving the quality of treatment provided to users of mental health services.