Anxiety & Depression Association of America

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a fast-acting brain stimulation treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can help people with depression and suicidal thoughts. The treatment is non-invasive (does not involve surgery or medications), is given over 5 days, and uses brain imaging (MRI) to guide which part of the brain to target. This study tests whether this treatment is a helpful and practical option for adolescents and young adults who are depressed and have suicidal thoughts. We want to see if: 1. This treatment is feasible and acceptable to patients 2. It can reduce depression and suicidal thoughts 3. It can lower the chance of going to the hospital 4. It affects daily functioning (school, work, relationships) All participants will undergo 5-days of TMS treatment and complete MRI brain scans before and after treatment. They will return for check-ups after 1 week and 4 weeks.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Perinatal mental health disorders are the most prevalent perinatal comorbidity and are associated with the primary cause of maternal mortality in the United States (US) - suicide. Diagnosis of a high-risk pregnancy and cesarean delivery (CD) are both associated with increased risk for perinatal mood, anxiety, and trauma symptoms (PMATS). There is a deficit in resources and access to mental health treatment for pregnant patients, with some treatments being cost-prohibitive and requiring multiple sessions. Additionally, current approaches to addressing PMATS are reactive rather than preventive. There is evidence in the non-obstetric population that single-session cognitive behavioral therapy interventions targeting anxiety sensitivity (fear of fear) can prevent the development of anxiety and trauma symptoms when individuals are exposed to trauma. The investigators developed a low-cost, 1-hour, single-session prevention intervention that included psychoeducation about anxiety sensitivity, coupled with a brief exposure to the operating room environment and CD procedures. To revise the implementation plan and intervention (CARE: Communication, Agency, Readiness, Empowerment for cesarean delivery [CD]) for use in large L&D units with a broader population of patients, a fully powered multisite randomized control trial (RCT) is needed. Before initiating such a trial, work needs to be done to modify the intervention and implementation through a process of iterative refinement to enhance the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of implementation in L&D units across the country, as well as its efficacy at engaging with the target mechanism (anxiety sensitivity). Using a logic model to guide the iterative refinement process through fast feedback loops and an atmosphere of co-creation, study investigators will gather critical input from stakeholders (individuals with lived experiences, community partners, front-line clinicians, and hospital staff) via 12 workgroups, 12 user-testing design sessions, and repeated engagement with a steering council. Following this refinement process, a treatment development pilot RCT at a large L&D unit will assess the efficacy of CARE for CD by probing engagement with the target mechanism, as well as assess the feasibility of implementation. Finally, the updated logic model and pilot trial results will inform the development of a protocol for a multisite RCT through engagement with expert consultants in a community engagement studio and further feedback from the steering council.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major public health problem, and involvement of the knee is especially disabling. Symptomatic knee OA has an incidence rate between 40 to 1,020 per 100,000 person years1 and is among the most common causes of disability worldwide. Knee arthritis pain and disability are highly comorbid wiht depression (30-50%). Currently available treatments offer only limited relief. The Pilot project aims to establish feasibility of the rTMS neuromodulation of response to Tai Chi and improvement in pain and comorbid depression in patients with knee OA. There are several ways in which the pilot project will improve scientific knowledge, and clinical practice: 1) The sequential stimulation of two targets (M1 and l-DLPFC) has not been systematically examined for the treatment of comorbid MDD and knee OA. We hypothesize that using a multi-target rTMS strategy combining M1 and l-DLPFC- active targets will be well tolerated and more effective to treat comorbid symptoms than single site rTMS to M1+l-DLPFCsham. This hypothesis will be tested in Aim 1 of this proposal by comparing two experimental conditions: A) M1active and l-DLPFCactive; and B) M1active and l-DLPFCsham. 2) Identifying the relationship between improvement in pain and depression to improvement in pro-inflammatory cytokines would be novel. Adding an rTMS as a neuromodulation technique with novel stimulation sites to assist in the reduction of symptoms of pain and depression is another scalable to clinical use opportunity that will provide pilot data for future clinical trials. We will perform a pilot feasibility trial of rTMS for those presenting with knee osteoarthritis related pain and moderate to severe depression in 30 volunteers who are undergoing Tai Chi intervention. Tolerability and safety of rTMS added to Tai Chi will be assessed along with changes in symptoms of pain and depression, in preparation to future R-01 applications.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2026

open study

A phase II, randomized, open-label, two-arm clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of pramipexole extended release (ER) versus escitalopram for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and comorbid MDD with mild neurocognitive disorder (MND) in persons with HIV (PWH). Participants will be assessed comprehensively and briefly at intercurrent visits to monitor for toxicity, response to therapy, and to assess for dose changes. An optional sub-study to evaluate treatment impact on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile will be conducted in a subset of 36 participants.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2026

open study

Youth exposed to early life adversity (ELA) are known to be at greater risk for depression and suicidality and account for almost half of the youth suffering from psychiatric diseases today. Youth exposed to ELA consistently report symptoms of anhedonia as well as dysregulated positive affect. The present project will test the efficacy of PAT in a sample of ELA-exposed adolescents in order to determine whether PAT increases positive affect, and subsequently symptoms of depression. For the initial pilot phase of the investigation, the investigators will recruit up to 30 adolescents exposed to two or more childhood adversities (ACEs) who do not currently have major depressive disorder, and randomize them (1:1) to either participate in PAT or a waitlist control condition. For the second phase of the investigation, the investigators will recruit up to 300 adolescents exposed to two or more childhood adversities (ACEs) who do not currently have major depressive disorder, and randomize them (1:1) to either participate in PAT or supportive psychotherapy. For both phases, at study enrollment, then 4-, 8, and 12-months thereafter the investigators will measure positive affect and depressive symptoms (including anhedonia and reward sensitivity). The results of this study will be used to inform whether PAT has the potential to prevent major depressive episodes among adversity-exposed youth.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The goal of this phase II study is to establish the dose-response curves of a safe and clinically feasible non-invasive brain stimulation technique (accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)) to improve both depression and cognitive function in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients with comorbid depression. It is known that TMS can effectively treat depression. Identifying the right dose of accelerated TMS in MCI patients is necessary prior to designing subsequent trials to determine efficacy. These results will inform future clinical trials of accelerated TMS for MCI, with the long-term goal of developing an efficacious treatment to prevent dementia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

The investigators hypothesized that during the 9-week course of Engage & Connect treatment there will be an increase in brain functions of the Positive Valence System which in turn will lead to reduction in suicidality.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) alleviates treatment-resistant depression (TRD) through repeated generalized seizures. The goal of this study is to evaluate how ECT impacts sleep-wake regulation and efficiency of information transfer in functional networks in different states of arousal.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

The goal of this study is to evaluate whether rtfMRI-nf training to increase the amygdala response to positive memories may serve as a stand-alone intervention for major depressive disorder

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

University of California, Los Angeles researchers will recruit healthy participants and anxious participants (those diagnosed with social anxiety disorder) age 18-55 years old to participate in a study examining whether the ability of social support figure reminders to enhance the extinction of fear in healthy participants extends to those with anxiety disorders. After being recruited from the UCLA community (healthy participants, n = 50) or referred by treatment providers at the Anxiety and Depression Research Center at UCLA (anxious participants, n = 50) and undergoing a telephone screening and in-person screening, 100 participants will be enrolled in the study, with an expected recruited 150 to reach this number. During the experiment, all participants will undergo the same procedures: undergoing a fear extinction procedure in which threatening cues--cues that predict electric shock--will be paired with either an image of a social support figure (provided by participants) or an image of a smiling stranger. These pairings will be presented repeatedly in the absence of shock in order for fear extinction to occur. Participants will return for a follow-up test to determine if fear extinction was successful.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) for university students. Over an eight-week period, 56 students will be randomly assigned to either a SKY breathwork group or a control group engaging in general yoga without breathwork. The SKY group will participate in a three-day in-person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, and independent home practice. The study will assess recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as changes in physical activity, perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus. All participants will complete validated wellness questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. The goal is to determine whether SKY is a feasible, low-risk intervention that may enhance student well-being and inform future research.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

In this study, researchers will learn how postpartum depression symptoms may change after people first start taking zuranolone. This is a drug available for doctors to prescribe for people with postpartum depression, also known as PPD. After giving birth, people with PPD can suffer from symptoms like tiredness, sadness, and a loss of interest in their daily activities. This is known as an "observational" study, which collects health information about study participants without changing their medical care. Participants for this study will be found in the United States using a database from Accredo Specialty Pharmacy. This will include anyone who has a new prescription for zuranolone and were pregnant in the last 12 months before joining the study. The main goal of this study is to learn more about how zuranolone affects the participants' PPD symptoms. This will be done using a questionnaire called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, also known as the EPDS. The main question that researchers want to answer is: • Do PPD symptoms change after treatment with zuranolone based on EPDS scores measured at Day 15? Researchers will also learn about : - Changes in participants' EPDS scores at Day 45 and Day 90 in the study - Changes in EPDS scores at Day 15, Day 45, and Day 90 in a group of participants who have moderately severe PPD before starting zuranolone - How many participants breastfeed their babies while taking zuranolone - How many participants report not starting new medicine after finishing their zuranolone treatment The study will be done as follows: - People with PPD who get a new zuranolone prescription through Accredo Specialty Pharmacy will be contacted by email or phone to ask them about their interest in participating in the study. - Before taking their first dose of zuranolone, participants will be asked to answer written questions about their symptoms using the online EPDS survey. They will also answer other survey questions about their background, environment, and general health information. Participants must take their first dose of zuranolone within 7 days of joining the study. - Participants will then be asked to answer questions using the EPDS survey, 15 days, 45 days, and 90 days after taking the first dose of zuranolone. Each survey will take about 10-15 minutes to finish.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

This trial explores the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) nature-based experiences as a supplementary treatment for depression in individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). This study will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of at-home VR deployment using the Apple Vision Pro, an advanced device that offers enhanced resolution, immersion, and usability compared to earlier VR systems. The study hypotheses include: - The integration of VR nature-based experiences with standard care will be feasible, acceptable, and will result in greater reductions in depressive symptoms compared to standard care or VR-only interventions. - The integration of VR nature-based experiences with standard care will result in greater reductions in stress and anxiety, better sleep, less insomnia, and improved fatigue compared to standard care alone or VR-only interventions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to learn if adult patients with acute psychiatric conditions can receive hospital-level care at home. The main question it aims to answer is: What percentage of eligible patients agree to enroll and be randomized to behavioral health home hospital (intervention) or the brick-and-mortar hospital (control)?

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

The current study aims to test the feasibility of a new form of group therapy for women who have a history of interpersonal trauma and current suicidal ideation. The Building Empowerment and Resilience (BEAR) Therapeutic group has been adapted for women who have experienced trauma and have current suicidal ideation. It incorporates psychological skills, psychoeducation about trauma and gender-based violence, and physical self-defense training, all within a therapeutic process. It will be implemented with women who have experienced interpersonal trauma (physical, sexual, or emotional abuse/neglect) and experience various mental health difficulties, including suicidal ideation. We aim to assess the feasibility to recruit and implement the BEAR group. Our ultimate aim is to assess whether the program can effect self-efficacy and suicidal ideation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2026

open study

Evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS) as an adjunctive treatment for adolescents hospitalized with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is defined as depression that occurs after childbirth, with intense symptoms that last longer than "baby blues". PPD differs greatly from "baby blues", a term used to describe the typical sadness, worry and tiredness that women experience after childbirth, which often resolves within a week or two on its own. The symptoms of PPD interfere with many aspects of daily living and can have unhealthy short-term and long-term outcomes, both for the mother and baby. One-third of women in the U.S. with PPD are identified in clinical settings, yet only half of those begin psychotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, mothers whose newborns are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at high risk for developing PPD, necessitating early identification and evidence-based treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are the two most effective psychotherapy treatments for PPD, yet no randomized controlled clinical trials were found that directly compared the two types of treatment or determined whether combining the two approaches is more helpful for PPD than either approach alone. This clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of a 4-week intervention of either CBT or IPT for PPD in NICU mothers and to determine whether a sequential 8-week intervention (IPT then CBT, or CBT then IPT) is more beneficial.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2025

open study

This study will evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of NBI-1065845 as an adjunctive treatment in participants with MDD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the addition of frequency filtered music (Safe and Sound Protocol) to daily cognitive processing therapy improves effectiveness for reducing PTSD symptoms. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Does the addition of frequency filtered music reduce PTSD symptoms for patients receiving cognitive processing therapy for PTSD? - Does the addition of frequency filtered music to cognitive processing therapy improve stress physiology (arousal)? - Does improvement in physiological stress regulation help explain improvements in hyperarousal and PTSD symptoms? Researchers will compare the effects of a frequency filtered classical music playlist to an identical playlist without added filtering. Participants will be randomized to a music playlist. Participants will: - Receive 10 daily sessions of cognitive processing therapy - Listen to 15 minutes of music before their therapy sessions (2.5 hours music listening total). - Complete clinical interviews and questionnaires before, during, and up to 6 months after therapy. - Have their physiological arousal monitored during listening and therapy sessions - Wear a Fitbit device and complete smartphone surveys for 4 weeks

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a digital intervention for co-occurring cannabis use and depression. Participants will be randomized to complete Amplification of Positivity - Cannabis Use (AMP-C) or symptom tracking. The main outcomes will include changes in depressive symptoms and cannabis use, as well as usability ratings.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2026

open study

This U.S. multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a repeat intranasal (i.n.) dose of Fasedienol Nasal Spray (fasedienol) (3.2 µg) to relieve symptoms of acute anxiety in adult subjects ages 18 through 65 with Social Anxiety Disorder induced by a public speaking challenge (PSC) in a clinical setting. In addition, safety and tolerability of i.n. administration of 3.2 µg of fasedienol, as-needed, up to 6 times per day for up to 12 months, will be assessed in those subjects who complete PH94B-CL036 and choose to enter the distinct open-label extension phase of the study.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to compare the relative effectiveness, acceptability, and side effects of ketamine delivered through an IV (a drip into the arm) which is not currently FDA approved for use in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and Esketamine (Spravato®), taken as a nasal spray which has received FDA approval for use in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The study will look at the following: - How well the treatment helps with symptoms of depression (effectiveness), - How comfortable and willing people are to use the treatment (acceptability), and - How well people can deal with any side effects from the treatment (tolerability). The study will also examine factors that may predict which treatment works better for certain patients.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The goal of this study is to disentangle relationships between acute cannabis use and withdrawal on proximal depression and suicide risk and recovery in adolescents ages 12-18 years by incorporating time-varying patterns of substance use, mood, and SI. This project aims to guide the development of scalable, individualized, accessible, and affordable interventions aimed to reduce depression and suicide risk among adolescents.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The main goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the active study drug (code name: SP-624) has any effect on the electrical activity of the brain in adult healthy volunteers and in adults with major depression. Another goal of the study is to learn if SP-624 improves memory and learning in adults with major depression. The study will also provide additional information on the safety of SP-624 and how well it is tolerated in adult healthy volunteers and adults with major depression. Researchers will compare SP-624 to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if SP-624 has any effect on study tests. Study participants will: Take capsules of study drug (SP-624 or a placebo) once daily for 2 weeks; visit the clinic at Screening, Day 1 (first dose of study drug), and Day 15 (last dose of study drug) for checkups and tests; and have phone call check-ups on Day 7 and about 1 week after the last dose of study drug.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

This study will test the immediate and long term (post 4 weeks of daily practice) effectiveness of two breathwork practices, cyclic sighing and box breathing, in comparison to hypnosis and an audiobook about stress, on psychological and physiological variables.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study