Background: Conducting clinical trials is a necessity to be able to develop new and better care and treatment for children and adolescents. Clinical trials with children and adolescents as participants involve ethical challenges and therefore these studies have historically been underrepresented. To be able to meet the needs of children and adolescents participating in a clinical trial nurses’ knowledge of the challenges of the research process is required.

Aim: The aim of this literature review is to highlight children and adolescents experience from participation in a clinical trial.

Method: A systematic review of 7 qualitative and two mixed method articles.

Results: Through the analysis three categories was identified. The categories are described as Motive for participation, Increased burden and Conditions that influence involvement. These three categories are substantiated by eight subcategories.

Conclusion: The children and adolescents describe various factors that influenced the willingness to participate. They described as a desire for better treatment for oneself or other patients. The children and adolescents also highlight that loyalty to an existing health care provider has influenced their decisions. Participating in a clinical study can be perceived as an increased burden for children and adolescents. This may mean having to undergo painful procedures or contributing your time. Children and young people express a need for information and want to participate in decision making. The experiences of what information they received in connection with the participation in a clinical trial are individual and in some cases the children andadolescents express a lack of information. Related parties have a significant role to play in understanding what participation in a clinical study entail, but also in being able to make decisions about participation.