Should I Enroll In a Mental Health Clinical Trial?

Let’s talk clinical trials, shall we? (Spoiler alert: One of our guests on this episode has been enrolled in one for 33 years! 🤯) In this episode of The Mighty Podcast, host Ashley is joined by Jackie Scott and Peter J. Franz, Ph.D. to explore the world of mental health clinical trials.

Jackie is a speaker with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, creator of the PS Project, and mental health advocate living with depression. Pete is an assistant professor at Yeshiva University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He conducts research on depression, suicide, and other topics related to mental health.

Together, the trio discusses Jackie’s involvement in her longstanding clinical trial for her depression related to her lack of serotonin, Pete shares his experience as a researcher — including some of his work on suicide reduction — where he tested whether reading other people's lived experiences could be used as a therapeutic resource, and both share their wisdom for anyone considering if a clinical trial is the right fit for their mental health journey.

This episode touches on suicide and suicidal ideation. If this is triggering, be sure to avoid these sections of the episode: 6:17-8:21 and 20:25-20:47.

If you live with depression, take this pre-screener to see if you’re eligible to participate in the Juniper study: https://bit.ly/3sdrCsx

A transcript (and more!) can be found on The Mighty: https://bit.ly/40OB4j8

This episode is sponsored by Otsuka.