Clinical Research Directory

Mindfulness Engaged Neurostimulation for Depression (MEND II)

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved therapy for treatment resistant depression (TRD) that involves brief magnetic stimulation pulses on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) brain region. But studies of rTMS alone show remission rates of \~30%. Additionally, rTMS has not been shown to improve cognitive functioning that may be an independent factor predicting treatment success. This study will develop a novel multimodal treatment, which combines intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) - a type of rTMS with digital mindfulness training to engage brain plasticity, enhance cognition and alleviate depression symptoms in individuals with TRD.

Low Voltage Electrical Stimulation for Depression in Parkinson's Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the relative efficacy of fMRI model guided Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (mgTDCS) in improving the depressive symptoms of patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Can the use of mgTDCS significantly improve the self-reported level of depression and apathy in patients with PD from pre-intervention to post-intervention compared to a sham control? 2) Can the use of mgTDCS significantly normalize the cortical eeg alpha asymmetry so commonly seen in depressed patients compared to sham mgTDCS? 3) Can the use of mgTDCS significantly improve scores on neuropsychological tests of working memory?

Survivorship Care for Women Living With Ovarian Cancer: (POSTCARE-O)

This study will enroll 120 women living with ovarian cancer following completion of initial treatment. Our objective is to test an intervention designed to provide support during the survivorship transition for this population, who live with a high degree of morbidity related to the illness and its treatment as well as a high risk of recurrence. Study participants will be randomly assigned to receive survivorship care using the POSTCare-O process or usual care. The primary outcome is quality of life at 12 weeks after intervention.

Natural History of Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Suicide Risk

Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, are difficult to treat. One reason is that there are no objective ways to measure how these disorders affect the body and respond to different treatments. In this study, researchers want to perform tests on people undergoing clinical care for mood disorders. The purpose is to understand the experience of receiving treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk. We also hope that this study will help us to predict which medications will improve thoughts of suicide. People 18 years or older who are receiving treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, or suicide risk may take part in this study. Participants must have also been enrolled in protocol 01-M-0254. This study will be conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. The study typically lasts up to 12 weeks, but may last longer if a participant s treatment continues past that time. Participants will have weekly interviews and questionnaires while they are being treated for their mood disorder. Other tests are optional and include psychological testing, blood draws, sleep tests, and imaging scans. These will be done at the start and the end of research participation.

Psilocybin for Depression in People With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Early Alzheimer's Disease

This open-label pilot study examines whether the hallucinogenic drug, psilocybin, given under supportive conditions, is safe and effective for depression in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or early Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This study will also assess whether psilocybin may improve quality of life in those individuals.

Activating Social Resources in Psychotherapy-Seeking Individuals: Effectiveness and Timing of a Social Support Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention

This study evaluates a Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI) aiming to foster social support processes for adults with elevated depressive symptoms awaiting outpatient psychotherapy. Utilizing a daily-level micro-randomized trial (MRT) design conducted over 21 days, participants are assessed six times daily. Participants are randomized across four conditions: (1) vulnerability-triggered, (2) vulnerability and receptivity-triggered, (3) support-need-triggered, and (4) a no-intervention control. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the JITAI in reducing daily depressive symptoms and increasing received social support (primary outcomes), as well as reducing daily loneliness and enhancing perceived social support (secondary outcomes). Furthermore, the study aims to compare the relative efficacy of three distinct triggering strategies to identify the most effective timing for intervention delivery.

The Oh Happy Day Class - Digital Connections (OHDC-DC): A Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to see if a mobile phone app can deliver depression treatment to African Americans who are depressed. The main question it aims to answer is if this treatment is effective in reducing symptoms of depression. Participants will attend six 90-minute weekly classes via an app on their phone, and will be asked to complete surveys every week. Participants can expect to be in the study for four months.

VR-PMR for Post-Burn Symptoms

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), delivered either alone or enhanced with virtual reality (VR), can help treat chronic symptom, such as pain, itch, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fatigue, in adult burn survivors. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does VR-enhanced PMR (VR-PMR) reduce chronic pain, anxiety, itch, sleep disturbances, and fatigue more effectively than standard PMR? * Is VR-PMR a feasible and acceptable self-administered home-based intervention for burn survivors? Researchers will compare two self-administered intervention conditions, VR-enhanced PMR and standard PMR, using a randomized to sequence crossover design to see if VR technology enhances the therapeutic effects of PMR on chronic symptom management in burn survivors. Participants will: * Complete home-based sessions of VR-enhanced PMR * Complete home-based sessions of standard PMR * Report symptoms such as pain, itch, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fatigue throughout the study * Use VR equipment provided for the intervention period (during the VR-PMR arm)

Michigan Men's Diabetes Project III(MenDIII): Mind and Motion

The Michigan Men's Diabetes Project III: Mind \& Motion is an 7-month pilot randomized clinical trial. The investigators are looking to recruit 80 Black men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) (need to have diagnosis for at least one year) that are over the age of 18. Participants also must be under the care of a physician for their diabetes, self report an Hemoglobin A1c (A1C) of 7.0% or more in the last year, be willing to participate in study events (weekly physical activity, exercise and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions, group discussion sessions, and in-person health assessments), have reliable internet access (steady internet connection or unlimited data) that will allow them to use a tablet/phone/computer to complete study related tasks, live in the Wayne or Washtenaw County, and have reliable transportation to in-person events. All participants will receive 8 hours/sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy. Participants randomized to the intervention arm will also receive 8 sessions of guided exercise at the same time. Following that they will also receive 8 group discussion sessions that will serve as on-going support. All sessions will be help via Zoom. Additionally, all participants will participate in The 4 health assessments will take place at baseline, 10 weeks, 18 weeks, and 30 weeks.

Examining the Health Effects of NPOWER365 Among Black Same Gender Loving Men

This research study aims to test the effectiveness, reach, and maintenance over time of the NPOWER365 HIV care intervention for Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) living with HIV. NPOWER365 is a BMSM community-developed multicomponent intervention that aims to: 1) Support daily health promotion via HIV health education and health maintenance reminders; 2) Foster positive social connections among BMSM via online moderated forums, interpersonal chats, and community calendars; 3) Connect clients to BMSM-affirming healthcare, including HIV treatment and mental healthcare; 4) Provide resources for housing, transportation, and other economic empowerment.

Virtual Reality in Hemodialysis to Improve Psychological Well-being

The long-term goal is to create behavioral health technologies to advance the science that leverages state-of-the-art technology to delivery psychotherapeutic treatment to individuals on hemodialysis (HD) to improve their emotional well-being, quality of life, and overall health. The objective in this small R01 study is to design a virtual reality (VR) platform, that fully immerses users into a fictitious lifelike environment, to deliver an evidence-based positive psychological intervention and to test whether it improves the emotional well-being of individuals on HD with comorbid depression. In this proposed 2-arm randomized controlled trial, the investigators hypothesize that delivery of psychotherapy in individuals on HD using a VR environment will prove feasible and will result in significant improvements in depressive symptoms, quality of life, and treatment adherence, along with reduced rates of hospitalization when compared to an active control condition-all while serving as a cost-effective and far-reaching platform for expansive dissemination. The Specific Aims are: Aim #1: To develop VR software to immersively deliver the skills taught in a 5-week evidence-based positive psychological intervention in individuals on HD to improve their emotional well-being. Aim #2: To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a 5-week positive psychological intervention, delivered using a VR platform through consideration of rates of recruitment, refusal, retention, (non)compliance, and adherence. Aim #3: To test initial efficacy of the VR-based psychotherapeutic intervention, compared to a control arm, on outcomes of depression, psychological well-being, quality of life, treatment adherence, HD sessions missed, and hospitalizations in HD patients. Knowledge gained from completion of the proposed research will result in the first VR software application to deliver psychotherapy to individuals on HD, while simultaneously allowing them to leave the confines of the clinic and virtually travel to distant regions of the world. This new therapeutic approach can be used to successfully address the added burden of psychological distress experienced by individuals on HD, with the potential to positively impact their quality of life, engagement in healthful behaviors, and overall healthy longevity. And, these findings will yield data essential for a fully-powered trial testing important health outcomes and biomarkers in individuals on HD.

BTL-699-2 and HPM-6000UF Devices for the Improvement of Depressive Symptoms and Sexual Function Among Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate if the combined treatment with EXOMIND (BTL-699-2) and EMSELLA (HPM-6000UF) devices is able to improve depressive symptoms and sexual function in women who are perimenopausal or postmenopausal without an alternative medical cause before enrollment in the study and are aged 40 years and older. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the combined treatment with EXOMIND (BTL-699-2) and EMSELLA (HPM-6000UF) devices improve depressive symptoms and urinary incontinence? Participants will be asked to: Undergo twelve treatments Complete the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Complete the 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Complete the Greene Climacteric Scale Complete the Therapy Comfort Questionnaire Complete the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form Complete the Female Sexual Function Index Complete the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale Complete the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale-Screen version Complete the Subject Satisfaction Questionnaire Complete the Therapy Comfort Questionnaire

BTL-699-2 and HPM-6000UF Devices for the Improvement of Depressive Symptoms and Urinary Incontinence in Postpartum and Early Post-Childbirth Women

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate if the combined treatment with EXOMIND (BTL-699-2) and EMSELLA (HPM-6000UF) devices is able to improve depressive symptoms and urinary incontinence in women who delivered a healthy, singleton infant 2-60 months before enrollment in the study and are aged 22 years and older, but under the age of 60 years. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the combined treatment with EXOMIND (BTL-699-2) and EMSELLA (HPM-6000UF) devices improve depressive symptoms and urinary incontinence? Participants will be asked to: Undergo twelve treatments Complete the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Complete the 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Complete the Therapy Comfort Questionnaire Complete the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form Complete the Female Sexual Function Index Complete the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale Complete the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale-Screen Version Complete the Subject Satisfaction Questionnaire Complete the Therapy Comfort Questionnaire

Lifestyle Interventions to Prevent Cognitive Deficits in Subjects With Depressive Symptoms: From Mechanisms to Clinical Practice

The goal of this clinical study is to investigate if lifestyle changes can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce depressive symptoms in people between the ages of 50 and 80 with depressive symptoms or a diagnosis of major depression, but without signs of cognitive decline. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does regular physical activity improve mood and memory in people who are depressed or have depressive symptoms? * Does cognitive training help prevent mental difficulties in people at risk of cognitive decline? * Do changes in diet and lifestyle alter the composition of the gut microbiota and immuno-related infiammatory factors? Researchers will compare three different treatment groups to see which intervention is most effective in improving mental and cognitive health. The participants: * Will take part to online sessions on healthy eating based on the Mediterranean diet * Some will do regular exercise, supervised by a personal trainer * Others will do weekly cognitive training in small groups at the hospital * They will provide blood and fecal samples and complete cognitive tests and clinical questionnaires at the beginning, at the end of the treatment (12 weeks), and after 3 months.

Treatment for Migraine and Mood

The researchers propose a three-arm pilot study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) delivered via telephone (MBCT-T), video (MBCT-V) or Enhanced Usual Care (EUC).

Cannabidiol for Reduction of Brain Neuroinflammation

This study will investigate whether cannabidiol (CBD), the primary centrally and peripherally active non-intoxicating compound in the cannabis plant, exerts anti-neuroinflammatory effects in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) with or without mild-to-moderate depression.

MindfulCityU-- A Mindfulness Mobile Application for Promoting University Students' Mental Health

The research aims to investigate the effectiveness a mobile phone application-based (app-based) mindfulness interventions for university students with mild depressive symptoms. This study adopts a multicentre randomized control trial two arms research design. A randomised controlled trial will compare a newly designed mobile phone application-based (app-based) mindfulness interventions, named MindfulCityU, with a waitlist control group to determine whether the MindfulCityU produces better intervention outcomes on promoting mental health for university students, including depressive symptoms, mindfulness, and wellbeing. The MindfulCityU provides 8 online modules on mindfulness for participants to access and learn at home through their smartphones and/or computer. Participants of waitlist control group participants receive no active intervention at the initial stage and receive the same MindfulCityU at a later stage. Participants will complete online standardized assessment tools on their intervention outcomes before and after the intervention and 2-months follow-up. The ethical considerations of this study were reviewed and approved by the Human and Artefacts Ethics Sub-Committee of the City University of Hong Kong in 2025.

Task-Shifting for Youth Suicide Prevention

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and mechanisms of change of a brief adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A), adapted and task-shifted to lay providers (mentors, youth trusted adults) in youth community centers (YCCs) as an upstream approach to suicide. It focuses on Hispanic adolescents ages 12-17 enrolled in these YCCs. The pragmatic clinical trial will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of adapted IPT-A delivered by mentors in YCCs and whether adapted IPT-A impacts mechanisms of change (depression symptoms, belongingness, and feeling like a burden to others). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is adpated IPT-A, when delivered by trained youth mentors, feasible and acceptable in youth community centers? * Does adapted IPT-A target key risk factors (e.g., depressive symptoms, low belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness) associated with suicide ideation? Researchers will compare adolescents randomized to adapted IPT-A (6 sessions) delivered by a trained youth mentor with those receiving usual services at the community center (one individual session focused on active listening). Participants will: * Be screened for subthreshold depression using the PHQ-9 adolescent version. Adolescents will be included if they score between 4 and 9 (mild depression). Adolescents with a PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher will not be eligible and will be referred to a licensed mental health provider for appropriate care. * Be randomized to adapted IPT-A or usual care. * Youth in the intervention arm will participate in 6 weekly adapted IPT-A sessions with a trained youth mentor focused on education, affect identification, and interpersonal skills.

Expressive Writing on Minority Stressors Among Sexual Minority Veterans

Sexual minority stressors (e.g., sexual minority identity-based discrimination) contribute to greater risk for and severity of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and suicide among sexual minority Veterans. However, no brief, scalable, one-on-one interventions targeting sexual minority stressor-related distress are available in Veterans Affairs (VA) for sexual minority Veterans. The proposed research will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief, 3-session expressive writing intervention to target distress related to sexual minority stressor exposure among sexual minority Veterans. The results of this work will advance knowledge about a promising brief and easy to implement intervention focused on reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms among sexual minority Veterans. This proposal aligns with VA's and CSR\&D's commitment to providing equitable services to sexual minority Veterans and the aim of reducing health disparities among underserved Veteran groups.

Occupational Therapy for Mental Health and Engagement in Neurorehabilitation

Changes in mental health are common after acquired brain injury (ABI), defined as any traumatic or non-traumatic injury to the brain after birth, affecting approximately 1 in 3 adults with ABI. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are uniquely qualified to contribute to addressing how mental and physical health influence engagement in activities of daily living, yet many OT practitioners working in neurorehabilitation do not implement recommended evidence-based mental health screening or intervention. This study aims to test a comprehensive implementation program for integrating evidence-based mental healthcare into OT rehabilitation services for people with ABI. The study will be conducted with OT practitioners working in home and community neurorehabilitation settings. The focus of the study is to better understand strategies to help OT practitioners adopt and implement evidence-based mental healthcare into routine practice. By doing so, the study aims to improve neurorehabilitation care delivery and promote positive mental health and community engagement among people with ABI.

Psychological Well-Being, Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study

This prospective cross-sectional observational study aims to explore the relationships among psychological well-being, depression, and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes attending the outpatient metabolic clinic at National Taiwan University Hospital. The study will collect data using standardized instruments, including the EQ-5D Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire, the PHQ-9 Depression Scale, and the Shalom Scale of Psychological Well-Being, along with demographic and clinical variables such as age, sex, education, body mass index, HbA1c, disease duration, and psychosocial support indicators. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression modeling will be performed to identify factors associated with psychological well-being. The findings are expected to provide evidence-based insights to inform tailored interventions and improve the mental health and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Mind-Body Skills Group for Graduate Students

Integrative-Mind-Body Skills Group (I-MBS-G) is an 8-week group that teaches skills to build inner resources for effective mood management. This group incorporates a holistic approach to wellness through meditation and mindfulness practices, guided imagery, breath and body awareness, and relaxation techniques. Mind-body approaches have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress mood symptoms and improving quality of life. The study hypothesis is that the Mind-Body Skills taught in the group will reduce mood symptoms in graduate and medical students.

Objective Vascular Biomarkers as Triage for Depression in Chronic Atrophic Gastritis

Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) but are frequently under-detected due to stigma and reliance on subjective questionnaires. This multicenter, cross-sectional observational study aims to validate a novel clinical triage workflow. It repurposes routine vascular assessments (specifically dorsalis pedis artery ultrasound and arterial stiffness metrics) as objective "biological entry points" to facilitate mental health referrals. The study will enroll approximately 450-520 adults with histologically confirmed CAG across four clinical centers in China. The primary objective is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of these vascular biomarkers for identifying patients with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score \>= 10). Secondary objectives include evaluating the implementation feasibility (e.g., referral uptake, screening completion rate) of this integrated care model in routine gastroenterology practice.

Evaluation of MBCT Implemented in Vietnamese Buddhist Pagoda

Background Depression presents a substantial public health burden around the world. Evidence-based psychotherapy treatments (psychotherapy EBT) for depression exist but access is often limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), by mental health stigma and scarcity of professional mental health providers. One approach to address these issues is mental health task-shifting, transferring mental health services from highly trained mental health professionals operating in formal mental health settings, to non-mental health professionals or lay people receiving focused training in a particular mental health program, operating in non-mental health settings (e.g., schools; religious settings). Purposes of the present study are to (a) adapt Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for depression - a psychotherapy depression EBT - for implementation in Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda in VN (MBCT-VN); and (b) conduct a cluster-randomized clinical trial of MBCT-VN, implemented in Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda. Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda are selected as the task-shifting site because they represent a potentially low stigma, culturally-congruent site for task-shifting implementation of mindfulness-based mental health treatments. Methods MBCT was adapted for the present project through a collaborative team process, producing the MBCT-VN program. The clinical trial evaluation will involve a cluster-randomized comparison between (a) the treatment condition MBCT-VN, and (b) a treatment-as-usual control condition, Buddhist meditation as implemented in pagoda. To reduce cross-group contamination, pagoda will be the unit of assignment. Outcome assessments will include four timepoints across four months. One hundred and sixty adult participants will be recruited from eight (four treatment; four control) Buddhist pagoda in the Hanoi, Vietnam area. The primary outcome will be level of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9: PHQ-9); the secondary outcome will be quality of life (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire: Q-LES-Q). The study will assess and evaluate several Implementation Science factors (e.g., Treatment Acceptability) as well as other potential moderators of treatment effects, and potential mediators such as increase in depression mental health literacy and decrease in depression stigma. Inferential analyses will use a general linear mixed model framework with a latent growth curve framework, with propensity covariates.