Anxiety & Depression Association of America

The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive research assessment of children and adolescents who meet The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) criteria for Bipolar Disorder (BD) , offspring of a parent with BD, and healthy controls (HC), to obtain blood samples and saliva samples from each subject to allow the evaluation for BD biomarkers and genetic information, to notify participants about future research studies they may qualify for , to recommend follow-up with an outpatient provider if needed and to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging) to investigate brain structures and relevant pathways associated with mood and behavioral regulation, conversion from softer forms of the BD spectrum (BD-NOS) to harder forms (BD-I and BD-II) and possible early identification.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Dec 2022

open study

This study is being done to see if nitrous oxide during vasectomy decreases pain and anxiety, and also assess whether patients have better satisfaction when they control their own level of nitrous oxide during the procedure. If we find that patients experience less pain or anxiety with nitrous oxide, it could be suggested that self-adjusted nitrous oxide (SANO) may be a useful tool for improving experience of care during vasectomy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a FDA-approved treatment for depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The goal of the study is to learn how to optimize the treatment to improve symptoms of depression and OCD. This research project will test a new accelerated 5-day accelerated rTMS protocol for treating symptoms of depression and OCD. A second goal of this study is to identify biomarkers of depression and OCD in the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This approach will predict who will benefit from TMS, determine the optimal treatment target, and improve treatment outcomes. Subjects will receive a clinical assessment of symptoms and an fMRI brain scan before and after each treatment course to measure the effect of treatment on symptom severity and on fMRI measures of functional connectivity. Participants will be randomized to receive rTMS targeting either the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC). Participants will complete a 5-day course of rTMS delivered hourly for 10 hours per day. Participants who show a partial response to treatment but not a full response will then receive a second 5-day course. Treatment non-responders will be crossed over to receive rTMS targeting the opposite brain area. The primary hypothesis is that accelerated rTMS treatment will yield rapid improvement in symptoms for patients with depression and OCD in just 5 days, and that response rates can be further improved by adding a second 5-day treatment course.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2021

open study

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.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2024

open study

People spend approximately one-third of their lives asleep, yet sleep is often underused as an opportunity to support psychological well-being. Contemplative traditions, including Tibetan Dream Yoga, have developed practices that use waking imagination and lucid dreaming to explore perception, awareness, and habitual patterns of thinking. Recent advances in sleep monitoring, dream communication, and lucid dream induction now make it possible to study these practices using scientific methods. This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to examine the feasibility and effects of a Dream-Yoga-inspired intervention compared with an active control condition. The intervention combines waking and dreaming practices that are adapted for individuals without prior experience and delivered using virtual reality-based training and home sleep technology. The program is designed to be scalable and culturally neutral, without requiring prior knowledge of contemplative or religious traditions. The primary goals of the study are to characterize sleep and waking neurophysiology associated with Dream-Yoga-inspired practices and to evaluate whether participation is associated with changes in sleep-related brain activity and cognitive processes. Outcomes include measures of lucid dreaming, sleep physiology, and waking cognitive and perceptual processes. Anxiety will be assessed as an exploratory outcome to examine whether participation may be associated with changes in emotional experience. This study is not designed to provide treatment for anxiety or other clinical conditions. Results from this study will help inform the development of scalable sleep-based mental training approaches and guide future research on the use of dreaming and sleep practices to support psychological health and well-being.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

Using a 2-arm, RCT approach, the primary goal of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) as a non-pharmacologic intervention to reduce cardiovascular and cognitive risks in older adults. Next, we will examine secondary effects of IMST on mood, sleep quality, systemic inflammation, and physical/motor function. Finally, we will assess participant adherence and acceptability ratings of using an 8-week home-based IMST protocol in a diverse older adult sample.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

With this research investigators hope to begin to understand how rTMS can improve posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. TMS improves PTSD through two interrelated mechanisms: change in brain limbic system function and change in systemic inflammatory activation. Participants who decide to join this study, will receive ten rTMS treatments. All participants will undergo a 40-minute rTMS procedure with a member of the study team 10 times over 2-4 weeks. Participants will undergo fMRI scans of the head in order to help researchers better understand potential effects of rTMS on brain activity. In addition, participants will be asked to give two breath and blood samples to look for signs of general inflammation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality (VR) application computer simulation [(CS) VR Mindful Meditation App')] versus music relaxation in reducing anxiety and pain in women undergoing breast biopsies. Participants will be randomized into three groups: VR, music relaxation, or standard care. Anxiety and pain will be measured using validated scales, and an optional physiological marker may be collected to assess stress levels. Participants will also be asked about their satisfaction with the intervention received, along with procedure-specific questions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition among veterans and active-duty military personnel, with rates as high as 30% in certain combat-exposed populations. Conventional treatments such as prolonged exposure therapy and pharmacotherapy have limited efficacy and high dropout rates, highlighting the need for novel, rapidly effective interventions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been well established for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Traditional TMS, which involves 6 to 7 weeks of daily, weekday scalp-targeted treatment, shows open-label response and remission rates of 58.1% and 30%, respectively. However, such protocols may be impractical for military personnel with limited medical leave. A new form of accelerated TMS (aTMS) that involves 10 imaging-guided treatments per day for 5 consecutive days has demonstrated substantial antidepressant benefits within days and response rates of 69% at 1-month follow-up. This protocol has not been tested for PTSD, in part because there was no causally informed brain circuit target. In this study, the investigators will test aTMS for PTSD using a novel PTSD circuit that the investigators have derived.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single oral dose of VQW-765 compared to placebo in adults with social anxiety disorder.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2025

open study

The goal of this pilot study is to test the effectiveness of a novel intervention for teenagers (ages 15-18) with mental health conditions who have been released from an acute care psychiatric facility. The intervention aims to reduce suicidality, depression, anxiety, re-hospitalization, and to improve mental health recovery by using an online recovery education and support program. The current standard of care (SOC) for these patients at discharge includes a discharge plan with a list of their medication(s), anticipated outpatient appointment(s), and corresponding information on when and where to find community resources. The intervention being tested involves the implementation of an online recovery education and support (RES) program, involving one-on-one and small group meetings led by trained teen peers (TPs) and peer support specialists (PSS). Participants will be assigned to either Cohort A or B for 8 weeks. Cohort A will be the intervention group with online access to an RES, TP, and PSS. - Week 1-4: One-on-one meetings with PSS and TP for education and support. Assessments will be completed at week 2 and 4. - Week 5 and 7: one-one meetings with PSS and TP for education and support. - Week 6 and 8: small group meetings with PSS, TP, and other participants. Assessments will be completed during Weeks 6 and 8. Cohort B will be the SOC group with no PSS, TP, or RES. - Weeks 1-4: Weekly check in phone calls with a member of the research team. Assessments will be completed at Weeks 2 and 4. - Weeks 5-8: Check in phone calls with a member of the research team every other week. Assessments will be completed at weeks 6 and8. Data collected from participant assessments, adherence to medication, and re-admittance to a psychiatric facility will be used to compare the intervention to the SOC.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical correlates of therapeutic precision ketosis in bipolar depression and to evaluate the cardiometabolic correlates associated with therapeutic precision ketosis in bipolar depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

Addiction and trauma exposure are common among the 5.5 million people (1 in 47 adults) in the U.S. who are in prison or under supervision. About 85% of people in prison have a substance use disorder or are there for a drug-related crime, and many have experienced serious trauma before being incarcerated. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are often a result of trauma and are linked to more severe drug use, higher rates of relapse, and increased crime. PTSS and substance use disorder (SUD) each raise the chances of new arrests for people who are justice-involved, showing that addressing trauma and addiction could help reduce repeat offenses and the costs of incarceration. However, treatments for PTSS are rarely available in prisons, and there is little research on whether providing therapy for PTSS in prison can lower drug use, PTSS, or crime after release. The goal of this clinical trial is to see if trauma-focused group therapy (CPT) provided while in prison, can help people after release from prison. The therapy has been adapted for use in prisons (CPT-CJ) and will be compared to trauma focused therapy delivered via a self-help workbook This study will: - test whether a trauma-focused group therapy (CPT-CJ) can reduce post-incarceration drug and alcohol use, mental health issues, and drug-related crime, compared to trauma-focused self-help, - evaluate a strategy called implementation facilitation, which helps support the use of this therapy in prisons, and - measure the cost of the therapies and support strategies to help plan for future expansion. Incarcerated participants (N = 640; 50% female) will be enrolled from ~10 prisons in ~5 states, ensuring variability in population and setting characteristics. They will: - take surveys and answer questions up to 5 times (before starting treatment, right after getting treatment, right before leaving prison, 3 months after leaving prison and 6 months after leaving prison) - complete CPT group therapy or self-help therapy - provide urine samples 3 months and 6 months after leaving prison Prison stakeholders (e.g., prison staff, prison leadership, governmental officials; N = ~15 per site) who will be purposively sampled based on their role in CPT-CJ implementation will also participate in some surveys.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Mental health conditions occurring during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum (the perinatal period) occur in 1 in 5 perinatal individuals. To improve mental health care during the perinatal period, this study will implement and compare a health care model of improving mood and anxiety disorder care in practices with a health care-community partnership model. The study will include 32 perinatal care settings across the United States. Half of them will have the health care model, the other half will have the health care-community partnership model. The study is designed to answer the question, "Should states and healthcare systems put resources into a healthcare system approach or a healthcare-community partnership approach to mental health care?" The results of this study will help states and healthcare systems decide how to develop pathways for increasing access to mental health care for pregnant and postpartum individuals.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

The goal of this mechanistic clinical trial is to examine whether parent-coaching aimed at increasing child positive affect will increase child neural response to reward. The main questions it aims to answer are: Aim 1. Characterize child neural reward response and its relation to maternal socialization of positive emotions at baseline in healthy young children. Aim 2. Evaluate how coaching-related changes in maternal socialization of positive emotion expression contribute to increases in child neural reward response over time. Aim 3. Examine how maternal socialization of positive emotion expression contributes to increases in child neural reward response in the moment. Participating mother-child dyads will be randomized to either 3 sessions of parent coaching of child positive affect or 3 sessions of a general parenting support intervention and neural response to reward and affective behavior will be examined pre and post intervention.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ITI-1284 as monotherapy treatment in patients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) criteria for GAD in patients who have had inadequate response to generalized anxiety disorder treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations with multiple chronic conditions have high rates of nonadherence to essential chronic disease medications after hospital discharge. Medication nonadherence after hospital discharge is significantly associated with increased mortality and higher rates of readmissions and costs among these patients. Major patient-reported barriers to essential medication use after hospital discharge among low-income individuals are related to social determinants of health (SDOH) and include: 1) financial barriers , 2) transportation barriers, and 3) system-level barriers. Although, medication therapy management services are important during care transitions, these services have not proven effective in improving medication adherence after hospital discharge, highlighting a critical need for innovative interventions. The Medication Affordability, Accessibility, and Availability in Care Transitions (Med AAAction) Study will test the effectiveness of a pharmacy-led care transitions intervention versus usual care through a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of 388 Medicaid and uninsured hospital in-patients with MCC from three large healthcare systems in Tennessee. The intervention will involve: 1) medications with zero copay, 2) bedside delivery then home delivery of medications, and 3) care coordination provided by certified pharmacy technicians/health coaches to assist with medication access, medication reconciliation, and rapid and ongoing primary care follow-up. We will examine the impact of the intervention during 12 months on 1) medication adherence (primary outcome) and 2) rapid primary care follow-up, 30-day readmissions, hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and costs. We will conduct key informant interviews to understand patient experience with the acre received during and after care transitions. By examining effectiveness of the intervention on outcomes including medication adherence, health care utilization, costs, and patient experience, this study will provide valuable results to health systems, payers, and policymakers to assist in future implementation and sustainability of the intervention for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

The goal of this research is to test if a prenatal yoga app can improve well-being in African American/Black (AA) pregnant women. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is the Down Dog prenatal yoga app feasible for AA pregnant women? 2. How does mental and physical health change after using the Down Dog app for 12-weeks? 3. What cultural adaptations to the Down Dog app are needed? The study lasts for 12 weeks and participants are asked to: - do prenatal yoga with the app for at least 20 min/day, three days/week, from home - wear a Garmin Vivosmart 5 watch daily - complete four online surveys - complete an optional virtual interview This project aims to advance public health by contributing to a broader understanding of how prenatal yoga can support the health and well-being of AA pregnant women and promote optimal maternal and child health outcomes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

The sub-study will involve a rigorous mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase of the sub-study will consist of semi-structured interviews. During the semi-structured interviews, 10 eligible women will be recruited to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing virtual mental health services. This information will be used to adapt an evidence-based patient navigation intervention for virtual use. For the intervention phase of the sub-study, 30 women with persistent postpartum depression symptoms will be recruited to participate in the adapted virtual navigator program using rapid cycle testing over a 2-month period.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is more commonly seen in individual's post-spinal cord injury (SCI) than in the general population. Depression post-SCI impacts an individuals' quality of life and recovery. It has been reported that among Veterans with an SCI, those without depression live longer than those with depression. Thus, depression must be treated appropriately. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved treatment for depression, but dosing is based on a motor response or movement in the thumb. Over half of individuals with SCI have some degree of arm or hand impairment, so these individuals might not be eligible for rTMS, or they may receive the wrong dose. This study proposes clinical trial in individuals with depression post-SCI to assess the anti-depressant effect of a novel technique to dose rTMS that does not require a motor response in the thumb. By gaining a better understanding of the application of rTMS for depression post-SCI, the investigators aim to advance the rehabilitative care of Veterans.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

To evaluate the acute and sustained antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide in people with major depressive disorder; and further evaluate these effects by identifying the optimal dose and regimen to guide current practice, and to plan a future large pragmatic trial.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether Behavioral Activation for depression delivered via home based telehealth (BA-HT) is effective in improving social and role functioning in Veterans recently discharged from Cardiovascular disease (CVD-related) inpatient care. Eligible participants will receive either (1) twelve sessions of BA-HT or (2) standard best practices post CVD hospitalization care. Study participants will be 132 Veterans discharged from the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center inpatient care facilities with CVD diagnoses corresponding to ICD 10 codes I20-I25 (120 unstable angina, stable angina; 121 NSTEMI, STEMI, initial encounter; 122 NSTEMI, STEMI, subsequent encounter; 124 acute coronary syndrome; 125 coronary arteriosclerosis with angina). They will be male or female, age 21 and above, and with approximately 40-50% minority representation. There will be assessment at baseline, 1 week post treatment, as well as 3 and 9-months post treatment. The investigators predict that BA-HT will more effectively increase social role and activity functioning, activity, mood and reduce 9-month re-hospitalization compared to current best-practices post-discharge care among patients scoring at least moderately depressed on the PROMIS Depression scale one week following hospital discharge for a CVD event.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

This study is a stratified, parallel-group, single-center study utilizing multimodal imaging techniques to identify biomarkers for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The study goal is to identify biomarkers for MDD and treatment response that can be implemented in clinical diagnosis and care as valid and reliable measures, through monitoring neurophysiological and electrophysiological changes across the course of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2020

open study

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder that affects 20%-30% of U.S. Veterans. PTSD is strongly associated with increased risk for substance abuse comorbidity, including cannabis use disorder. Multiple states now include PTSD as a condition for which patients can be legally prescribed medical marijuana, despite the fact that there has not been a single large-scale randomized clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of cannabis to treat PTSD to date. The overall objective of the current proposal is to study the impact of reduced cannabis use on functioning among Veterans with PTSD. The investigators will evaluate the relationship between cannabis use and daily functioning among cannabis users and heavy cannabis users. The central hypothesis is that reductions in cannabis use will lead to positive changes in the functional outcomes of Veterans. The rationale for this research is that it will provide the first and only real-time data concerning the impact of reduced cannabis use on daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

The primary objective of the proposed Stage II study is to examine the efficacy of oxytocin (OT) as compared to placebo in reducing (1) alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms, and (2) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Veterans receiving COPE therapy (Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure). To evaluate purported neurobiological mechanisms of change, we will employ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at pre- and post-treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2021

open study