Clinical Trials – Information for Participants
Overview
Clinical research is critical to understanding and treating mental illnesses. At the heart of clinical research are clinical trials, research studies performed with people that aim to evaluate a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention.
Clinical trials are the primary way researchers determine if a new treatment – like a new drug, medical procedure, or medical device (such as a brain stimulation device) – is safe and effective in people. Often a clinical trial is used to learn if a new treatment is more effective or has less harmful or bothersome side effects than the standard treatment. Other clinical trials test ways to find a disease early, sometimes even before there are symptoms, and others test ways to prevent a health problem.
Researchers usually enroll people with a specific health condition, but some also accept people without health problems – referred to as healthy volunteers – to provide a comparison group for the new treatment being tested.
Learn more about clinical research.
Why People Participate in Clinical Research
People participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Healthy volunteers may participate to help others and to contribute to moving science forward. Participants with a medical condition may also participate to help others, as well as to try out novel experimental interventions and have additional care and attention from clinical trial staff.
Clinical trials offer hope for many people and an opportunity to help researchers find better treatments for others.
What People Experience During a Clinical Trial
During a clinical trial, you may see doctors, nurses, social workers, or other health care providers who will monitor your health closely. You may have more tests and medical exams than you would if you were not taking part in a clinical trial. The study team may also ask you to do other tasks, such as keeping a log about your health or filling out forms about how you feel.
You may need to travel or stay in a hospital to take part in clinical trials. For example, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, conduct clinical trials. It is the largest research hospital in the world. Many other clinical trials take place in medical centers and doctors’ offices around the country. Participating in clinical trials is completely voluntary. If you decide to participate in a trial and later decide that the trial not is right for you, you can withdraw at any time. Whether you participate or not will not affect your regular medical care.