Clinical Research Directory

Belief Update: The Effects of Depression and Antidepressants in Older People

People in good health do not perceive the future in the same way as those suffering from depression. This difference in perception affects behaviour and emotions and warrants further investigation, both before and after treatment with antidepressants. Research shows that past negative experiences with medication can reduce the effectiveness of treatment, whilst positive expectations can increase it. It is important to gain a better understanding of how antidepressants influence the way in which elderly people with major depressive disorder (MDD) change their beliefs, and to determine whether an improvement in their depressive symptoms is linked to these changes in their beliefs. This study aims to understand whether antidepressants can alter the way people view the future and whether this contributes to their effectiveness. It also seeks to determine whether patients' expectations regarding treatment influence clinical outcomes, and whether changes in their mood may in turn affect these expectations. The study will involve 31 patients aged 65 and over who are suffering from a depressive disorder and require a change of antidepressant, and 31 healthy subjects, also aged 65 and over. The participants' involvement will last for 12 weeks. During a medical consultation, once the doctor has checked that the participant meet all the study's eligibility criteria, they will ask for the participant consent to take part in the study. The participant will then be asked to answer one question about what you hope to gain from the new antidepressant treatment that the doctor will prescribe for the participant. Finally, the participant will carry out a belief-updating exercise, which involves : presenting the participant with a series of events and ask them to indicate how likely they think each of them is to occur, and then. Once they have received further information about these events, ask them to reassess the likelihood of them occurring. This task will be carried out again 12 weeks after the participant start taking their antidepressant, during a consultation required as part of their individual care plan. From the first week of antidepressant treatment until week 12, the participant will be contacted by telephone once a week to answer two short questions about their expectations regarding the treatment and any changes in your mood.

Exercise, Pain Beliefs, and Activity Patterns in Musculoskeletal Pain

This observational study aims to investigate the relationship between exercise benefits and barriers, pain beliefs, and activity patterns in individuals experiencing musculoskeletal pain. Participants will complete questionnaires about their pain, exercise habits, and daily activity patterns. The study does not involve any interventions or treatments. The purpose is to better understand how beliefs and perceived barriers influence physical activity in people with musculoskeletal pain, which may help inform future strategies to improve exercise participation and overall well-being.

Turkish Version of Back Pain Knowledge and Beliefs Survey

Low back pain (LBP) is a globally prevalent health issue, affecting the majority of individuals at some point in their lives. Misconceptions about LBP can prolong its chronicity, highlighting the importance of educating patients with accurate information. The Back Pain Knowledge and Beliefs Survey (BacKS), introduced in 2024, aims to measure individuals' knowledge about LBP based on updated scientific evidence. Given the high prevalence of LBP in Turkey and the lack of validated tools in Turkish, adapting BacKS to Turkish is essential. This study aims to conduct its cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability analysis for clinical and community use.

Evaluation of Educational Interventions Targeting Beliefs About Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of two different educational training programs on beliefs about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in a group of female hospital employees. The main questions it aims to answer are: • Within the scope of the study, are the training programs provided to reduce misconceptions about HPV effective? • Which educational program is more effective in reducing misconceptions about HPV? Participants will • Complete a pre-test online the day before the first training date to determine the level of their misconceptions about HPV. • Receive informative messages via Whatsapp once a day for three days according to the training program they are assigned to. • Repeat the pre-test at the end of the training programs and one month later. • Receive the more effective training program after one month after the test repetition for the control group. Researchers will compare "Misbeliefs about HPV" and "Current Knowledge about HPV" titled training programs on reducing misconceptions about HPV.