Before medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or before certain therapy methods are widely accepted as effective, they are tested on people who volunteer to participate in a clinical trial.

Organizations across the country are looking for people like you to take part in their research studies. The list of studies below have been selected from ClinicalTrials.gov based on their inclusion of one or more of the following terms: anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, PTSD, and bipolar disorder.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is supportive of research that is conducted through clinical trials. Participating in research can potentially help change the mental health outcomes for you and others who suffer anxiety, depression, and related disorders. You may learn about new interventions/treatments that are being considered.

Read this ADAA blog about things to know and questions to ask before committing to a clinical trial.

This website page is brought to you in partnership with ResearchMatch.


854 matching studies

Sponsor Condition of Interest
Effects of Spirulina Supplementation on Mental Health in Healthy Adults
Arizona State University Depression Mental Acuity
Spirulina platensis is a form of cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae, and is a superfood most known for being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and healthful phytochemicals. Spirulina supports brain health through neuroprotection offered by its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and ho1 expand

Spirulina platensis is a form of cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae, and is a superfood most known for being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and healthful phytochemicals. Spirulina supports brain health through neuroprotection offered by its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and hormone regulation. The aim of this study is to supplement healthy adults from a campus community with 3g of spirulina, daily, for 8 weeks to improve mood and mental acuity in comparison to receiving a placebo.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

Potential Benefits of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
University of Florida Autonomic Dysregulation Anxiety Depression Parent-Child Relations
The goal of this study is to explore possible benefits of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The main goals of the study are: - To investigate whether pre-survey measures of autonomic reactivity relate to the overall functioning of participants. - To examine the effects of PCIT T1 expand

The goal of this study is to explore possible benefits of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The main goals of the study are: - To investigate whether pre-survey measures of autonomic reactivity relate to the overall functioning of participants. - To examine the effects of PCIT To identify individual characteristics that influence the effects of PCIT. Participants will: - complete 5 online surveys (1x pre-PCIT, 3x during PCIT, and 1x post-PCIT) - complete the PCIT program

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Refractory Depression Treatment Resistant Depression
The goal of this clinical trial is to test how well psilocybin-assisted therapy works in treating people with depression. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Does psilocybin with assisted therapy help improve symptoms for people with depression? - How long do the effect1 expand

The goal of this clinical trial is to test how well psilocybin-assisted therapy works in treating people with depression. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Does psilocybin with assisted therapy help improve symptoms for people with depression? - How long do the effects of this treatment last? Participants will: - Take part in a couple of screening and preparation visits. - Be given psilocybin in one or two treatment sessions. - Attend a series of follow-up sessions over the following year. - Complete forms and surveys to test how their symptoms have changed and what they thought of their experience. Researchers will also compare whether one treatment or two treatments help improve symptoms more for participants.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

A Single Session Parenting Intervention for Children on a Outpatient Therapy Waitlist
Massachusetts General Hospital Anxiety Disorders
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for youth anxiety. However, up to 80% of youth with anxiety disorders do not access the services they need. Child CBT clinics nationwide have extremely long waits, on the order of 10-12 months. This leads to a vicious cycle, as children1 expand

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for youth anxiety. However, up to 80% of youth with anxiety disorders do not access the services they need. Child CBT clinics nationwide have extremely long waits, on the order of 10-12 months. This leads to a vicious cycle, as children waiting for care experience worsening symptoms and decreased motivation, so that by the time they access care, their needs are more intensive and the treatment lasts longer and it takes longer for new children to be able to be assigned. Recently, single-session interventions (SSIs) have been developed that enable children to access CBT skills. The proposed randomized trial will evaluate the effects of a brief, web-based, self-guided SSI designed to reduce parent accommodation of children's anxiety, a parenting behavior that has been shown to maintain and worsen child anxiety. The main aim of the study is to examine whether the SSI reduces parent accommodation. As a secondary aim, the investigators will explore whether the SSI reduces children's anxiety symptoms over the first 6 months of CBT. The investigators will recruit parents of children who are on the waitlist to receive outpatient CBT. Results may suggest a promising approach to intervene with parents and children waiting to receive therapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

Geolocation Positional System (GPS) Experience
University of Miami Emotions Anhedonia Depression
The purpose of this study is to use smartphone technology to capture individual location emotional and cognitive data, to examine how real-world behaviors thoughts, emotions, and brain activity are related to one another. expand

The purpose of this study is to use smartphone technology to capture individual location emotional and cognitive data, to examine how real-world behaviors thoughts, emotions, and brain activity are related to one another.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

RECOVERS - Realigning Emotion and COgnition Via prEcision Regulation networkS
Medical University of South Carolina Healthy Depression - Major Depressive Disorder
In this research study, the investigators are examining how brain activity (electrical and blood flow) changes during tests of emotional processing, attention and memory in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and outside the MRI using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Investig1 expand

In this research study, the investigators are examining how brain activity (electrical and blood flow) changes during tests of emotional processing, attention and memory in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and outside the MRI using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Investigators are also using non-invasive brain stimulation to probe different parts of the brain and measuring brain activity (electrical and blood flow). Study 1 This study includes healthy participants and researchers hope this will help us develop improved brain-based treatments for emotional difficulties like depression. Study 2 This study includes participants with depression and researchers hope this will help us develop improved brain-based treatments for emotional difficulties like depression.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)
Northwestern University Burnout Burnout, Professional Positive Affect Depression Anxiety
FOREST is a positive emotion skills program designed to target mental health and coping needs for frontline violence prevention workers at UCAN. Ten skills are taught over a period of nine months during existing meetings and wellness activities, as well as in online modules in UCAN's Learning Manag1 expand

FOREST is a positive emotion skills program designed to target mental health and coping needs for frontline violence prevention workers at UCAN. Ten skills are taught over a period of nine months during existing meetings and wellness activities, as well as in online modules in UCAN's Learning Management System (LMS). Through infusing the FOREST skills throughout UCAN, we hope to inspire organizational culture change that will emphasize the importance of wellbeing and enhance resilience, therefore reducing burnout and turnover.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

COPEWeb Training for Providers
VA Office of Research and Development PTSD Substance Use Disorders
PTSD and substance use disorders (SUD) are two of the most common and debilitating mental health conditions afflicting military Veterans. PTSD and SUD frequently co-occur and are associated with poorer treatment outcomes. The investigators' team developed a trauma-focused intervention, Concurrent T1 expand

PTSD and substance use disorders (SUD) are two of the most common and debilitating mental health conditions afflicting military Veterans. PTSD and SUD frequently co-occur and are associated with poorer treatment outcomes. The investigators' team developed a trauma-focused intervention, Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE), which is identified by the VA as a gold standard of behavioral healthcare and was designated as a first-line treatment in the 2025 APA Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD. However, a critical barrier to ensuring that Veterans with co-occurring PTSD/SUD receive evidence-based treatment is a lack of provider training. This project directly addresses this critical gap by developing a new web-based training program for providers (COPEWeb).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

Digital Single Session Intervention for Youth Mental Health
Harvard University Anxiety Depression Conduct Disorder Stress
The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of a single-session, digital intervention teaching the principle of practicing the opposite, when administered to youths on the waitlist for psychotherapy, with usual waitlist procedures as a control condition. expand

The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of a single-session, digital intervention teaching the principle of practicing the opposite, when administered to youths on the waitlist for psychotherapy, with usual waitlist procedures as a control condition.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

MOTIVATE to Improve Outcomes for Older Veterans With Musculoskeletal Pain and Depression
VA Office of Research and Development Chronic Back Pain Depression Aging Musculoskeletal Pain
The proposed study seeks to evaluate effectiveness, implementation processes, and cost of MOTIVATE among older Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and comorbid depressive symptoms. expand

The proposed study seeks to evaluate effectiveness, implementation processes, and cost of MOTIVATE among older Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and comorbid depressive symptoms.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

Auriculotherapy in the Treatment of Pre-Operative Anxiety
Jacques E. Chelly Anxiety Preoperative
The goal of this clinical trial is to use the validated PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anxiety - Short Form 8a and PROMIS Emotional Distress-Depression-Short Form pre-and post-intervention to establish a superior correlation between the auriculotherapy treatment and the reduction of perioperative anxi1 expand

The goal of this clinical trial is to use the validated PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anxiety - Short Form 8a and PROMIS Emotional Distress-Depression-Short Form pre-and post-intervention to establish a superior correlation between the auriculotherapy treatment and the reduction of perioperative anxiety. Subject population will include those having a partial or total nephrectomy for cancer. Drawing the role that auriculotherapy may play in reducing perioperative anxiety related requirement after surgery may also help in reducing the risk of opioid use disorders (OUD) since anxiety has been found to be a major risk factor for OUD in surgical patients. Therefore, this trial will also examine the effect of the auriculotherapy intervention in reducing opioid requirement after surgery.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2021

open study

Evaluation of the Genetics of Bipolar Disorder
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bipolar Disorder
This study looks to identify genes that may affect a person's chances of developing bipolar disorder (BP) and related conditions. expand

This study looks to identify genes that may affect a person's chances of developing bipolar disorder (BP) and related conditions.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 1994

open study

Diet and Microbiome Interactions: Application in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults Consuming1
Colorado State University PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
The gut microbiome has been shown to impact various facets of human health, including mental health. Studies have shown that populations with more agrarian lifestyles tend to have fewer chronic diseases and mental health issues than industrialized populations. A possible factor in these differences1 expand

The gut microbiome has been shown to impact various facets of human health, including mental health. Studies have shown that populations with more agrarian lifestyles tend to have fewer chronic diseases and mental health issues than industrialized populations. A possible factor in these differences is the loss of co-evolved gut microbial taxa that has occurred with Westernization. This hypothesis, termed "Old Friends Hypothesis" suggests that the loss of certain gut microbes leads to immune dysregulation and increased chronic inflammation that contributes to development of cancers, cardiometabolic diseases and even neuroinflammation that can lead to negative behavioral and mental health outcomes. Other studies have shown that increasing the intake of plant foods may help increase diversity of the microbes in the gut and that this increased diversity could lead to better health outcomes in humans. The investigators propose to evaluate daily consumption of a drink consisting of a high diversity of plants (30 plant species) for four weeks on the diversity of the gut microbiome, biological signatures of inflammation, quality of life, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms among persons with a diagnosis of PTSD. The investigators hypothesize that four weeks of daily consumption of this high plant diversity beverage (30 plant species) will increase gut microbiome ɑ-diversity, reduce markers of systemic inflammation, and improve PTSD symptom severity relative to daily consumption of a beverage containing only three plant species.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

A Randomized Study of Azetukalner Versus Placebo in Major Depressive Disorder (X-NOVA3)
Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. Major Depressive Disorder
X-NOVA3 is a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of azetukalner as a monotherapy in adult participants diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) expand

X-NOVA3 is a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of azetukalner as a monotherapy in adult participants diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts
Case Western Reserve University Anxiety Depression Mood
The Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts (DRAMA) Study examines the degree to which the arts can help to address stress, anxiety, and sad mood in children and adolescents. The researchers will pair theatrical improvisation exercises with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) t1 expand

The Developing Resilience and Anxiety Management Through the Arts (DRAMA) Study examines the degree to which the arts can help to address stress, anxiety, and sad mood in children and adolescents. The researchers will pair theatrical improvisation exercises with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques versus improvisation exercises alone versus a social craft group on reducing elevated levels of anxiety and depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

Comparative Effectiveness of Internet-based Versus Parent-Coached Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For1
Baylor College of Medicine Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Anxiety Disorder of Childhood or Adolescence Social Anxiety Disorder of Childhood Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Separation Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are common and confer significant disability. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for youth with anxiety, yet many families cannot access CBT due to cost, practicalities of attending in-person treatment sessions, and a shorta1 expand

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are common and confer significant disability. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for youth with anxiety, yet many families cannot access CBT due to cost, practicalities of attending in-person treatment sessions, and a shortage of trained providers, especially in rural areas. To combat these barriers, other treatment methods have been developed. Previous research has shown that family-based, internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) for anxiety and OCD in youth has shown a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms. Parent-coached exposure therapy (PCET) focuses entirely on teaching parents and youth together how to address anxiety through the completion of in-session parent-coached exposures and assigning parent-coached exposure as homework in between sessions. Although both iCBT and PCET show positive results in treating pediatric anxiety in comparison to standard-care CBT, little is known about the comparative efficacy of iCBT and PCET. This research is being done to understand the comparative effectiveness of two different types of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating anxiety or OCD in youth.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Mood Effects of Serotonin Agonists: Depression
University of Chicago LSD Major Depressive Disorder Depression
This study will examine the effect of a low dose of the 5HT2A agonist LSD (26 µg), compared to placebo, on acute and protracted mood states in individuals with depression. The investigators will assess the relationship between mood-related symptoms and EEG as a neurophysiological marker. expand

This study will examine the effect of a low dose of the 5HT2A agonist LSD (26 µg), compared to placebo, on acute and protracted mood states in individuals with depression. The investigators will assess the relationship between mood-related symptoms and EEG as a neurophysiological marker.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

Long-Term Study to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of NBI-1065845 as an Adjunctive Treatment in1
Neurocrine Biosciences Major Depressive Disorder
This study will evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of NBI-1065845 as an adjunctive treatment in participants with MDD. expand

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

Primary Care-based Study of an Online Workshop for Family Caregivers of PLWD
University of California, San Francisco Family Caregivers Dementia Self-management Depression Internet-based Intervention
Many family and friend caregivers of persons living with dementia experience depression, stress, and other adverse health consequences due to the responsibilities of their caregiving role. These caregivers express a desire for education and support. The overarching goal of this project is to improv1 expand

Many family and friend caregivers of persons living with dementia experience depression, stress, and other adverse health consequences due to the responsibilities of their caregiving role. These caregivers express a desire for education and support. The overarching goal of this project is to improve education and support for caregivers of persons living with dementia so that they can take better care of themselves and also their person living with dementia. Building Better Caregivers workshop is an online, 6-week, small group workshop for family caregivers of persons living with dementia that teaches them caregiving skills and how to manage difficult emotions, stress, and other challenging aspects of caregiving. Caregivers also receive support from other caregivers and two trained workshop facilitators and a workbook to keep. The workshop uses asynchronous delivery that allows caregivers to use materials at home when they have time day or night, self-pace their learning, and chat with other caregivers through threaded discussion board conversations. In this pilot embedded pragmatic clinical trial the investigators will evaluate the workshop among 108 caregivers who receive health care in urban areas of California and rural areas of New York. To achieve the project goals the investigators will (1) determine the feasibility of identifying, enrolling, and randomizing caregivers to a workshop group or wait-list group; (2) assess the feasibility of using electronic health record data as study outcomes, including depressive symptoms of caregivers and emergency room visits and hospitalizations of their patients with dementia; and (3) determine whether caregivers complete the workshop and think it is acceptable. If this pilot trial is successful, the investigators will have the information necessary to conduct a larger study among many additional caregivers with the long-term goal of improving their health and the well-being of their person with dementia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

Improving Behavioral Health for Caregivers and Children After Pediatric Injury
Medical University of South Carolina Quality of Life PTSD Depression Not Otherwise Specified Child Externalizing Behavior
Pediatric traumatic injury (PTI) is a public health priority, with more than 125,000 children experiencing injuries that require hospitalization each year. These children, and their caregivers, are affected in many ways that may affect quality of life, emotional and behavioral health, physical reco1 expand

Pediatric traumatic injury (PTI) is a public health priority, with more than 125,000 children experiencing injuries that require hospitalization each year. These children, and their caregivers, are affected in many ways that may affect quality of life, emotional and behavioral health, physical recovery, family roles and routines, and academic functioning; yet US trauma centers do not adequately address these outcomes and a scalable national model of care for these families is needed. This proposal builds on prior research from the investigative team to test a technology-assisted, stepped care behavioral health intervention for children (<12 years) and their caregivers after PTI, CAARE (Caregivers' Aid to Accelerate Recovery after pediatric Emergencies), via a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation trial with 348 families randomly assigned to CAARE (n=174) vs. guideline-adherent enhanced usual care (EUC) (n=174).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

ALTO-100 in Bipolar Disorder With Depression (BD-D)
Alto Neuroscience Bipolar Disorder I or II With a Major Depressive Episode
The purpose of this study is to assess antidepressant efficacy differences between ALTO-100 and placebo during the Double-Blind period in patients with bipolar disorder I or II with current major depressive episode, when used adjunctively to a mood stabilizer and/or atypical antipsychotic, related1 expand

The purpose of this study is to assess antidepressant efficacy differences between ALTO-100 and placebo during the Double-Blind period in patients with bipolar disorder I or II with current major depressive episode, when used adjunctively to a mood stabilizer and/or atypical antipsychotic, related to patient characteristics. Additionally, safety, tolerability, and efficacy will be assessed in a subsequent open label treatment period.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

Suicide Specific Rumination in Veterans
VA Office of Research and Development Depression Suicide Mood Disorders
Few treatments target core features of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Veterans. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback can provide information regarding brain activation associated with suicide-specific rumination, defined as a "repetitive mental fixation on one's suicida1 expand

Few treatments target core features of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Veterans. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback can provide information regarding brain activation associated with suicide-specific rumination, defined as a "repetitive mental fixation on one's suicidal thoughts and intentions." The goal of this feasibility study is for Veterans to learn strategies for modulating activity within brain regions that have been demonstrated to contribute to the maintenance of rumination, as they receive neurofeedback feedback signals from the brain.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

Gamma Oscillations as a Prognostic Marker for Ketamine Therapy in Treatment Resistant Depression
Baylor College of Medicine Healthy Major Depressive Disorder Treatment Resistant Depression
The core objective of this study is to enhance the translational potential of this electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarker by using ketamine(KET)-induced gamma potentiation as a prognostic marker of 4-week treatment outcome. Previous research focused exclusively on KET-induced gamma band potentiation1 expand

The core objective of this study is to enhance the translational potential of this electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarker by using ketamine(KET)-induced gamma potentiation as a prognostic marker of 4-week treatment outcome. Previous research focused exclusively on KET-induced gamma band potentiation (GBP) in the context of a single infusion. Our study design captures the clinical variation associated with real-world treatment resistant depression (TRD) patients and allows us to analyze the relative importance of GBP to antidepressant symptom reduction across the induction phase of treatment. If successful, it provides a compelling rationale for a larger prospective investigation of gamma dynamics as a moderator of outcome to varied TRD therapies which impact the balance of cortical excitation and inhibition.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

Novel Mental Health Therapies to Improve Military Readiness
David Moss Anxiety Alpha Stim Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Heart Rate Variability
To evaluate the efficacy of CES as a therapy to treat and mitigate symptoms of generalized anxiety in DoD beneficiaries in a prospective clinical trial and compare this to sham (placebo) CES. expand

To evaluate the efficacy of CES as a therapy to treat and mitigate symptoms of generalized anxiety in DoD beneficiaries in a prospective clinical trial and compare this to sham (placebo) CES.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

Music Interventions During Wide-Awake Hand Surgery
University of Wisconsin, Madison Anxiety Surgery
The purpose of this study is to examine if patients have a lower anxiety level during wide awake hand surgery while listening to their choice of music vs standardized relaxation music. Patients who are planning to undergo wide awake (local anesthetic only hand surgery) and agree to participate will1 expand

The purpose of this study is to examine if patients have a lower anxiety level during wide awake hand surgery while listening to their choice of music vs standardized relaxation music. Patients who are planning to undergo wide awake (local anesthetic only hand surgery) and agree to participate will be randomized to either a music intervention where they listen to their choice of music genre or standardized relaxation music during their time in the operating room. 170 participants will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for 2 weeks.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study