Our Suburban Hospital-NIMH Partnership

Suburban Hospital has partnered with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health, in an effort to advance the fields of mental and behavioral health. Patients being treated for psychiatric illnesses at Suburban Hospital through the emergency department, inpatient unit, day hospital or outpatient services have access to NIMH clinical research studies across the street at the state-of-the-art NIH Clinical Center.

Suburban Hospital staff identifies patients who are willing and may be eligible to participate in research. Current research includes investigating novel treatments for bipolar disorder (depression and mania) and major depression, biologic basis of schizophrenia, genetics of psychiatric disorders, and treatment of postpartum depression, among many others.

NIMH research staff come to Suburban for on-site screening to determine patients' eligibility for research participation. As part of the clinical trials, procedures and medications are free to participants. For evaluative research with no experimental treatment being tested, compensation may be provided. NIMH provides short-term treatment while transitioning the patient back to a community healthcare provider.

If interested, call 301.496.5645 for an evaluation for research participation.