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NCT Number: NCT07471529

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

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

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Key information

Conditions

Loneliness Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Depressive Symptoms Social Support

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Zurich

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8050, Switzerland

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Timon Elmer, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+41 44 635 72 65

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • indicating to seek outpatient psychotherapy
  • elevated levels of self-reported depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI) score > 13 (out of 63); Kühner et al., 2007)
  • owning a smartphone
  • signing the informed consent form

Exclusion criteria

  • first session for outpatient psychotherapy is scheduled within four weeks
  • suicidal ideation (values > 2 in BDI item 9)
  • presence of manic symptoms (Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) score > 7), - shift work
  • age below 18 or above 70

Treatment and study plan

Social Support Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention

Behavioral

The intervention is a smartphone-based system designed to encourage the activation of social support networks during critical moments. Triggers are based on real-time Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data. When a condition is met, the app prompts participants to identify a specific type of support needed and a person from their social network to contact. It then provides one of three evidence-based recommendations to facilitate effective support-seeking behavior (direct communication, solution-focused discussion, and reframing the situation). If no social contact is available, the app suggests alternative self-help activities. Detailed information can be found on the OSF project page: https://osf.io/4e8gz

Primary outcomes

  1. Depressive Symptoms

    Time frame: Measured in the evening of study days 1-21

    PHQ-2, adapted for daily measurement

    "Today, I felt down, depressed, or hopeless." "Today, I had little interest or pleasure in my activities." (7-point Likert scale with 1 = "strongly disagree" to 7 = "strongly agree")

  2. Received Social Support

    Time frame: Measured in the evening of study days 1-21

    "Today, I received emotional support from others."

    "Today, I received practical help from others." (7-point Likert scale with 1 = "strongly disagree" to 7 = "strongly agree")

    Before that the participants were shown a definition of emotional and practical support:

    "Support can be emotional (e.g., listening, offering comfort, encouraging, etc.) or involve practical assistance (e.g., giving advice, gathering information, running errands, etc.)."

Secondary outcomes

  1. Loneliness

    Time frame: Measured in the evening of study days 1-21

    "I felt lonely today" (5-point Likert scale with 1 = "strongly disagree" to 5 = "strongly agree")

  2. Perceived Social Support

    Time frame: Measured in the evening of study days 1-21

    (i) "If I had fallen ill today, I could have asked friends/relatives to take care of important things for me without hesitation." (ii) "If I were feeling very depressed right now, I would know who I could easily turn to." (7-point Likert scale with 1 = "strongly disagree" to 7 = "strongly agree")

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Zurich

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 13, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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