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Table 2 Types of intervention trial and year of publication

From: Randomised trials relevant to mental health conducted in low and middle-income countries: a survey

Type of trial

1991

1995

2000

Total

 

n = 25 (%)

n = 45 (%)

n = 107 (%)

n = 177 (%)

Drug vs drug

13 (52)

20 (44)

56 (52)

89 (50)

Drug vs non-active (eg placebo)

4 (16)

9 (20)

20 (19)

33 (19)

Drug vs psychosocial

-

-

7 (7)

7 (4)

Drug vs biological non-drug (eg ECT)

2 (8)

2 (4)

2 (2)

6 (3)

Drug vs mixed (eg placebo AND psychotherapy)

-

-

1 (<1)

1 (<1)

Drug dose finding

1 (4)

2 (4)

1 (<1)

4 (2)

Total trials involving drugs

20 (80)

33 (73)

87 (81)

140 (80)

Biological non-drug vs biological non-drug

1 (4)

2 (4)

3 (3)

6 (3)

Psychosocial vs psychosocial

4 (16)

4 (9)

5 (5)

13 (7)

Psychosocial vs non-active

 

3 (7)

8 (7)

11 (6)

Biological non-drug vs non-active

 

1 (2)

3 (5)

4 (2)

  1. ECT = electroconvulsive therapy