Clinical Trials in Psychiatry

by Everitt, Brian S.; Wessely, Simon

• ISBN13: 9780198526421
• ISBN10: 0198526423
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

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 need 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 trials, how to analyze 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.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
Treatments, good, bad or worthless---and how do we tell?	1	(10)
The randomized clinical trial	11	(25)
Design issues in clinical trials	36	(24)
Special problems of trials in psychiatry	60	(12)
Statistical issues in the analysis of psychiatric trials	72	(25)
Analysing data from a psychiatric trial: an example	97	(24)
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis	121	(15)
RCTs in psychiatry: threats, challenges, and the future	136	(13)
Appendix A Issues in the management of clinical trials---`how to do it'	149	(11)
Appendix B Writing a clinical trial report	160	(6)
Appendix C Useful software for clinical trials	166	(3)
References	169	(14)
Index	183