Clinical trials are experiments that test a large number of people under controlled conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments. Although clinical trials are often used to evaluate new drugs, they can also be used to test different forms of psychotherapy.
All clinical research studies need to be approved by the research ethics board where the research is taking place. In addition, although the information collected as part of a research study is confidential, there are limits to confidentiality. If you choose to participate in a clinical trial, you always have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, without penalty of any kind.
Although most clinical trials include a thorough medical and psychological screening process, it is always a good idea to check with your primary health care provider to see if the clinical trial you are interested in is right for you.
