Table 2

Types of intervention trial and year of publication

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)

ECT = electroconvulsive therapy

Sheriff et al. BMC Psychiatry 2008 8:69   doi:10.1186/1471-244X-8-69