Clinical Trials in Psychiatry

The randomised-controlled trial (RCT) is accepted as being the best method for assessing and evaluating new treatments for mental illness. This text explains RCTs for mental health professionals.

---

Mental health problems account for a quarter of all physician consultations, and place an enormous financial burden on society. For this reason, the search for effective treatments in psychiatry continues apace. But as they are developed, it is essential that we have effective and rigorous methods of assessing the benefits and safety of new treatments. The randomised-controlled trial (RCT) is accepted as being the best method for doing this. In order to understand what does and does not work, mental health professionals' needs to understand how treatments have been assessed and evaluated. Clinical Trials in Psychiatry is the first book to explain RCTs for mental health professionals. It starts by discussing why we need trials and why they are the best way of deciding if a treatment works. It then describes the different types of trial, how to analyse the results, and how to conduct a trial. For anyone working in the mental health field, this book will be an essential source of reference, allowing them to make informed decisions about treatment.