What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies involving people. They compare new or different types of treatments with current treatments – treatments such as talking therapies as well as drugs. New treatments are not necessarily better than old ones. It is widely agreed that every new treatment must be tested by a properly conducted clinical trial before their real benefits, safety and risks can be known. Most clinical trials are expensive to carry out and may take years to complete.
Clinical trials are essential for progress in the prevention, management and treatment of illnesses. It is thanks to the help of volunteers who take part that this progress is being made. People are essential for clinical trials, and it must also be remembered that those taking part do have rights. They should be considered partners with the researchers conducting clinical trials.
The kind of questions a clinical trial hopes to answer include:
- Is the treatment safe?
- Does the treatment help people to feel better and in what way?
- Does it work better than current treatments?
- Does it have side effects and what are they?
- Is the treatment acceptable to service users and carers?
What sorts of treatments are tested in clinical trials?
It is widely agreed that every new treatment must be tested by a properly conducted clinical trial before their real benefits, safety and risks can be known.
Clinical trials are used to test a wide range of treatments. For example to find out:
- How to prevent illnesses, e.g. by testing changes to lifestyle or diet
- How to diagnose illnesses e.g. through scans and blood tests
- Whether new drugs or other treatments such as psychotherapy are safe and effective
- What is the best way to give existing treatments e.g. what dose of medication is most effective or how often it should be taken
- How to help people with mental health problems (or other illnesses) manage and control their symptoms e.g. through talking therapies or changes to lifestyle
