Anxiety & Depression Association of America

In this study, investigators are testing whether a higher dose of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), can be safely used in people with depression. Participants will come to the Brain Stimulation Lab and receive mild electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on their scalp. The study begins with a safety run-in, where the first few participants will receive stimulation at gradually increasing levels (2, 4, and 6 milliamps) while being closely monitored. If no serious side effects are found, later participants will receive repeated 6 milliamp sessions for 5 days total. Investigators will check skin comfort, mood, and overall tolerability after each session.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in approximately 7% of adults in the general population. PTSD greatly impacts quality of life and often co-occurs with other conditions such as chronic pain. Individuals with co-morbid PTSD and chronic pain demonstrate higher PTSD symptoms and pain (as well as greater anxiety, depression, disability, and opioid use) compared to those with only one of those conditions. Gold standard treatments exist for both PTSD (e.g., Prolonged Exposure; PE) and chronic pain (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain; CBT-CP) and are generally offered sequentially (i.e., one at a time for the condition that is most prominent). Treating these conditions separately may overlook their interconnected nature, which may reduce efficacy and increase dropout. Thus, there is a need for an intervention to target both simultaneously, which may be more effective and efficient than treating conditions sequentially. This is a single-arm pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an integrated treatment for adults with comorbid PTSD and chronic pain. The intervention consists of 12 90-minute virtual psychotherapy sessions scheduled twice per week. The treatment draws from modules in PE and CBT-CP including psychoeducation, exposure to feared/avoided situations and activities, processing of exposures, behavioral activation, breathing and relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene, symptom monitoring, and structured homework assignments. Baseline and post-treatment assessments will be conducted.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

This is a two-part study to develop and test a brief, virtual therapy program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people who have experienced trauma and use alcohol. Phase 1: You'll be invited to share your perspective to help make the program relevant, inclusive, and affirming. Phase 2: You may have the opportunity to try the adapted program by receiving free virtual therapy with LGBTQ+-affirming therapists.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

This study is a two-arm individually randomized group treatment clinical trial evaluating behavioral therapies for insomnia, nightmares, and PTSD. The study will compare cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia and nightmares to sleep hygiene (Control), both integrated with Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD and delivered in an accelerated (i.e., 5-day) group treatment format, preceded and followed by individual treatment sessions. 160 participants will be randomized into one of two study conditions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KarXT for the treatment of manic episodes in Bipolar-I Disorder

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

This is a cross-sectional pilot study designed to establish hot and cold cognitive functions and underlying neurocircuitry in older adults with MDD. The investigators will study 120 participants aged 21-80 years old with MDD. All participants will undergo clinical and neurocognitive assessment, and Magnetoencephalography (MEG)/Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures at one time point. The investigators will also enroll 120 demographically matched comparable, never-depressed healthy participants (controls) to establish cognitive benchmarks. Healthy controls will complete clinical and neurocognitive measures at one time point. To attain a balanced sample of adults across the lifespan, the investigators will enroll participants such that each age epoch (e.g., 21-30, 31-40, etc.) has a total of ten subjects (n=10) in both the healthy control cohort and depressed cohort.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether empagliflozin, a medication in a class known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2) inhibitors, may reduce symptoms of depression. Since this medication helps the body make metabolites known as ketone bodies which can serve as an alternate energy source for the brain, the investigators can also test whether ketone bodies help with depressed mood.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

Background: More than 12,000 people have taken part in research at the Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Program. This has led to advances in the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk. Researchers want to follow up with this group to see if they continue to have mental health symptoms and receive psychiatric treatments. Objective: To learn the long-term impact of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older who signed consent for Protocol 01-M-0254 over a year ago. Design: This study has 2 phases: an online phase and a telephone phase. It has no in-person or face-to-face contact. In Phase 1, participants will fill out online surveys. They will access the surveys through the study website. The questions will focus on their current thoughts and feelings. The surveys will also ask about their current treatments for their mental health symptoms. At the end of the surveys, they will be asked if they would like to take part in Phase 2. If so, they will mark yes. Phase 2 includes a phone interview. They will be contacted by email to schedule the interview. In Phase 2, participants will be asked more in-depth questions about how they are feeling. They will also be asked which psychiatric medicines and treatments they have used since they left NIH. In both phases, participants can skip any questions they do not want to answer. The online surveys will take 30 minutes to complete. The phone interview will last 1-4 hours. The information that participants give in this study may be linked to their other NIH research records.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2021

open study

The purpose of this study is to use a non-invasive imaging technique called positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) to investigate the effects of exercise on brain activity and arterial (blood vessel) inflammation in people with PTSD symptoms and evidence of or elevated risk for artery disease.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test a behavioral health program (Interventions for Stressful Transitions in Later Life, InSTILL) for skilled nursing facility residents and their primary support person. The main questions it aims to answer is whether the program is program is feasible, satisfactory, and helpful. The researchers will compare the InSTILL program to minimally enhanced usual care. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the InSTILL program or minimally enhanced usual care. Participants will complete assessments at three timepoints (all) and a brief-exit interview.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

Building Connections seeks to address health and healthcare inequities in socially vulnerable communities. The project will be conducted in collaboration with clinical practices across Massachusetts, serving a diverse population heavily represented in Community Clinics and Health Centers. The program will offer evidence-based interventions in obesity/weight management, cancer screening, and mental health.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

The SEQUOIA-1 study evaluates the effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in measuring depression and anxiety severity in adults. Investigators from Deliberate Solutions, Inc. and Baylor College of Medicine are conducting this study to determine whether AI can provide reliable clinical assessments of mood and anxiety disorders. In clinical trials for new depression and anxiety treatments, human clinicians typically conduct interviews to evaluate participants' symptoms. These assessments are critical but may vary based on the clinician's experience or interview style, potentially affecting the reliability of research findings. To address this challenge, the study team developed an AI-based Clinical Outcome Assessment tool, called AICOA®, which analyzes video interviews to measure symptoms of depression and anxiety consistently and objectively. AI-COA® has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into the Innovative Science and Technology Approaches for New Drugs (ISTAND) pilot program. The primary objectives of the SEQUOIA-1 study are to collect additional data to improve model accuracy and to evaluate model performance across diverse demographic groups. The study also pilots the use of an AI interviewer-an interactive digital agent-to conduct remote assessments. During the study, participants will complete questionnaires about their symptoms and perform brief tasks. Participants will also provide feedback regarding their experience interacting with the AI interviewer. All assessments will be securely video-recorded. Recorded videos will be analyzed by AICOA® to determine depression and anxiety symptom severity. These results will be compared to assessments conducted by human clinicians. The development and validation of reliable, AI-driven assessment tools through this study aim to enhance the accuracy of mental health evaluations, potentially improving the testing and approval processes for new treatments targeting depression and anxiety.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2025

open study

The study will evaluate the efficacy of NBI-1065845 compared with placebo as an adjunctive treatment in participants with MDD on improving symptoms of depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the implementation of the WE CARE social determinants of health (SDOH) screening and referral intervention with an antiracist lens in primary care settings can lead to a meaningful decrease in chronic disease by monitoring conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, hyperlipidemia, and asthma through clinical measures. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the WE CARE SDOH screening and referral intervention applying an antiracism lens informed implementation strategies have the potential to reduce racial/ethnic health inequities in chronic diseases for minoritized patients?

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This is a long- term extension of the double-blind trials APPROACH (CYB003-002) and EMBRACE (CYB003-003). Its aim is to examine the safety and long-term efficacy of CYB003 in participants with MDD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

This study is a randomized Type I hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of Empower@Home, an internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program supported by aging service providers, in comparison to enhanced usual care for homebound older adults with depressive symptoms. A total of 256 participants will be randomly assigned to either the treatment group (Empower@Home) or the control group (enhanced usual care) in a 1:1 allocation ratio, with randomization stratified by participating agencies. The primary aim of this study is to determine the clinical effectiveness of the Empower@Home program. It is hypothesized that participants receiving Empower@Home will show greater improvements in depressive symptoms at 12, 24, and 36 weeks after entering the study compared to those receiving enhanced usual care. Additionally, treatment moderators will be explored and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted to assess the economic viability of the intervention. The second aim is to investigate the mechanisms of change facilitated by the intervention using a mixed-methods approach. Causal mediation analysis will examine whether the acquisition of CBT skills, reduction in cognitive distortions, and increased behavioral activation, as well as participant engagement and the therapeutic alliance with the coach, mediate the treatment effects. Qualitative interviews with participants will be conducted to provide deeper insights into these mechanisms and enhance the interpretation of the mediation analysis. The third aim focuses on evaluating the implementation process using the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). This will involve a qualitative process evaluation to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of Empower@Home, drawing on perspectives from multiple stakeholders.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of CYB003 compared to matching placebo as adjunctive treatment in participants with MDD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if GATE-251 works to treat depression in adults. It will also learn about the safety of GATE-251. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does GATE-251 reduce depression scores in participants compared to participants who take a placebo (a look-alike tablet that contains no GATE-251)? What medical problems are observed in participants who take GATE-251? Participants will take one tablet of GATE-251 or placebo every week for 6 weeks. Participants will visit the clinic every week of the 6 week period to have the severity of their depression evaluated.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This project is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative (https://heal.nih.gov/). This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is phase 2 of a two-phase, 5-year project with the overarching goal of testing a decision aid (DA)/coaching intervention, tailored to Black patients with comorbid chronic pain and depression, to encourage use of and adherence to nonpharmacological pain treatments (NPTs). This 2-arm trial will randomize 304 patients with comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression in primary care from an urban safety-net health system (Eskenazi). After the baseline assessment, patients randomized to the intervention will be asked to participate in 4 coaching sessions over approximately 12 weeks. Sessions will use Motivational Interviewing principles to foster openness to NPTs and self-efficacy by helping patients identify their goals and priorities, understand their NPT options, prepare them to discuss and choose options with their primary care providers (PCPs), and reinforce these choices to foster maintenance of these changes. DA contents will be integrated into these sessions, which will facilitate discussion of these options with their PCP. The first 3 sessions take place prior to the patient's next scheduled PCP visit; the final session occurs after this visit. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 3 months (i.e., after completing the final coaching session), and 6 months. Patients randomized to the wait-list control group will receive usual care (in addition to study assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months). After completing the final assessment, they will then be given the DA and offered a 20-minute coaching session to walk them through it.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

This study aims to identify how enhanced allopregnanolone activity (via pregnenolone) affects behavior and neurobiology that may underlie perimenopausal depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

The impact of cerebrovascular procedures on patients experiencing anxiety and depression is not well studied despite the high prevalence of these mental health disorders. Unruptured Intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) have a prevalence of approximately 3% and an annual risk of 1-2% in the general population. Despite the high risk of fatality following aneurysm rupture with a rate of 40-50%, the overall aneurysm growth and rupture risks are rare (less than 3% per aneurysm per year) and many patients can be observed with serial follow-up imaging over years. Nevertheless, due to the gravity of the bad consequences of aneurysm rupture, simply informing many patients of UIA diagnosis has been found to result in worse outcomes of health-related quality of life. This study aims to investigate the impact of awareness of untreated UIA on the patients' mental health utilizing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) tool.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

To learn if Cognitive Behavior Therapy (called CBT), combined with either Bright Light Therapy (called BLT), methylphenidate, and/or melatonin, can help improve sleep and other related symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients. This is an investigational study. In this study, BLT, Methylphenidate and Melatonin will be compared to their placebos.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of the combined interventions, Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) or P-STAIR, for treating maternal PTSD and reducing maltreatment recidivism.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2021

open study

Targeted and individualized treatments for mental health disorders are critically needed. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) represents the front-line of new and innovative approaches to normalizing dysfunctional brain networks in those with mental illness. rTMS is FDA-approved for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder with clinical trials underway for PTSD and addiction, among others. However, remission rates are suboptimal and ideal stimulation parameters are unknown. We recently completed a randomized, double blind clinical trial and a depression severity biomarker that predicts clinical outcome. The overarching goal of this study is to develop the first broadly generalizable platform for real-time biomarker monitoring and personalized rTMS treatment. We plan to recruit patients with medication-resistant depression and in perform a four-phase, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to 1) identify how standard and optimized rTMS patterns engage the depression severity biomarker, and 2) determine the dose-response of these rTMS patterns. Findings from this study will provide the basis for a double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing rTMS optimized to the individual against standard rTMS.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study

The purpose of this research study is to characterize the mechanisms contributing to cognitive impairment and accelerated cognitive decline in Late Life Depression (LLD). This is a non-randomized, observational, non-treatment study that originally launched in 2015, enrolling 133 participants. From the originally enrolled participants, the continuation of the ADNI-D study will enroll 120 participants which will include following participants from the original (parent) protocol and enrollment of new participants for a period of 30 months. Data from an additional 300 non-depressed subjects will be used from ADNI studies for comparison. Depression history, symptom severity and health information will be collected at the initial visit to determine eligibility. An magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, as well as amyloid (florbetapir) and tau (flortaucipr) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging will be conducted at San Francisco VA. Collection of plasma and serum for biomarkers, clinical assessments and cognitive assessments will be conducted at two time points. Blood samples will also be collected for genetic analysis.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2015

open study