Introduction: SPECIAL ISSUE, Clinical Trials (and Tribulations)

This special issue arose from a workshop given at the 2022 Eating Disorder Research Society, “Clinical Trials for Eating Disorders: Best practices for setting up, recruiting for, and successfully running a clinical trial.” The presenters were Rachel Goode, Anja Hilbert, Ulrike Schmidt, Joanna Steinglass, and Tracey Wade. Over the course of the workshop, it became clear that many researchers were struggling with a sense of failure—why do my clinical trials go pear shaped when everyone else seems to be able to produce the “perfect” randomized trial? Further, many felt that they were trapped in using trial designs that did not suit the clinical needs of their population. A request for sharing this information was made and a special issue was born.