Abstract
Discusses the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), an agency of the US Congress, which was established in 1972 to aid legislators in understanding the impacts of technology and to provide science-based information on legislative problems. The process used by OTA in conducting assessments of psychotherapy is described. OTA's report on psychotherapy, entitled "The Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Psychotherapy," concluded that psychotherapy is effective. However, the report also indicated that the field of psychotherapy is relatively new and that only in recent years has substantial data been accumulated. (20 ref)