Clinical research refers to studies in which people participate as patients or volunteers. Different terms are used to describe clinical research, including clinical studies, clinical trials, studies, research, trials, and protocols. Clinical research may have a number of goals, such as developing new treatments or medications, identifying causes of illness, studying trends, or evaluating ways in which genetics may be related to an illness. Choosing to take part in clinical research is an important personal decision. Your decision to participate will depend on your interests, needs, and expectations about research. This publication, prepared by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), provides answers to common questions about volunteering for mental health clinical research NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Our goal is to give you basic information about clinical research and help you make a decision about whether to participate. Please review this information and discuss it with those close to you. As you read, write down questions you may want to ask. This document provides an overview about participating in clinical research. To get details on a study, it is important to bring any questions and concerns to the researchers who are doing the study. For example, only the researchers can answer questions about whether a participant will be able to stay on medications or will be compensated for taking part in the study. You may wish to review the glossary first to become familiar with some of the terms used in clinical research studies.