Ethical considerations in placebo-controlled randomised clinical trials

Abstract

Ethical considerations in standard medical care and clinical research are underpinnings to quality medicine. Similarly, the placebo-controlled double-blind randomised clinical trial is the gold standard for medical research and fundamental to the development of evidence-based medicine. Researchers and clinicians are challenged by ethical concerns in the informed consent with a need to maximise understanding and minimise therapeutic misconception. This editorial expands on themes raised by Chen et al's article ‘Disclosing the Potential Impact of Placebo Controls in Antidepressant Trials' and serves as an invitation for further submissions to BJPsych Open on ethics, research design and informed consent.