[Psychiatric research in Southern Netherlands; most studies get completed, social-scientific ones more often than pharmacotherapeutical trials].
OBJECTIVE: To describe the nature and the course of scientific studies in psychiatry that have been reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee in the South Netherlands (Toetsingscommissie Zuid-Nederland (TCZ)). DESIGN: Exploratory, retrospective. METHOD: Scientific studies in psychiatry that were submitted for review in the period 1 January 1988-31 December 1998 by TCZ, were investigated to determine their progress and to find out what study features were prognostic for completion. RESULTS: In this research project 131 psychiatric studies, which were expected to be completed towards the end of 1998, were considered for inclusion. Approximately 2/3 of all studies had a social-scientific character, 1/3 being pharmacotherapeutical. 116 cases were reviewed and 114 selected. From the 88 studies started, 77 had been completed. Out of these 77 completed studies 75 have been presented and/or published. Seven patients were involved in four studies that were stopped prematurely; they were possibly incorrectly burdened. Studies described as experimental, painful, pharmacotherapeutical, externally initiated, externally financed or multicentered ran a greater risk of not being completed than studies without these characteristics. Topics such as a limited number of subjects, a large burden or a long duration also jeopardized the successful completion of a study. A multivariate analysis showed that the pharmacotherapeutical nature of studies was the most important predictor. CONCLUSION: In the psychiatric hospitals of the South Netherlands scientific research has been carried out. Many of the studies that were approved by the TCZ were started and completed. Pharmacotherapeutical research ran a greater risk of non-completion than social-scientific research.