Counselling Online is operated by Turning Point, one of Australia’s leading addiction treatment and research organisations. Our colleagues are often recruiting people to participate in clinical trials that help to transform our understanding and treatment of problems related to drugs, alcohol and gambling. In celebration of World Health Day, we’d like to share some of the benefits of signing up to be part of research projects.

Here are some of the important projects the Turning Point team are currently working on: 

• Finding better ways to help people who want to reduce or stop their cannabis use. 
• Investigating if MDMA-assisted therapy is a safe and effective treatment for people who have co-occurring problems with alcohol use and PTSD. 
• Learning more about the experiences of people who live with alcohol use disorder.  

Why sign up to participate in a study?   

Thanks to the generous contribution of people who volunteer as clinical trial participants, researchers can ensure that new medicines and therapies are safe and will be consistently effective.  

But there’s more to participation than contributing to medical advancements that could improve people’s lives. Helping us can also help you.  

By participating in a clinical trial, you can also gain access to new treatments, receive compensation, and learn more about yourself.  

Receive practical benefits 

Many studies offer practical benefits. For example, they might pay you for your time and contribution in gift cards or cash.  

When you express your interest in participating in a study, you will be given information about any financial or other compensation.  

Read the study information closely to ensure you understand what will be required of you to receive the compensation.  

Access the latest treatments 

Another common reason to join a research study is to access the latest treatments not yet available to the general public. It's like getting a sneak peek into the future of medicine.  

If you have a health condition, this could mean access to new medications or therapies that might be more effective than current options.  

Some studies researching new medical treatments also provide access to other therapies in conjunction with the new medicine that’s being tested.  

In those cases, even volunteers in the ‘control’ group receiving the placebo medicine, still receive clinically proven psychological therapy.  

In other words, they access the therapeutic treatment, while also helping researchers determine whether the therapy combined with the medicine is more effective than the therapy alone.  

If you are considering joining a study with supplementary treatments, the researchers will take you through a rigorous screening process to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your situation.  

Learn about yourself and the world 

Participating in research can be a fascinating learning experience. Simply reading the information about what’s involved will give you insights into how studies are conducted and what goes into scientific research.  

If you have a health condition, you may learn more about the condition during the trial, or you might learn something new about your own behaviour and emotional responses in different situations.  

Interested to find out more?  

All research studies open for participants undergo a rigorous ethics process to ensure the process is safe. As part of the sign-up process, you will receive detailed information about what is involved and any possible risks, and can ask questions.    

To find out more, search online for clinical trials currently open for participants, such as the Research and Consumer Participation Opportunities page on the Turning Point website.  

You can also subscribe to their “Engage for Change” newsletter and receive regular updates about opportunities to participate.