Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05767554

Depression, Experiential Diversity, and Behavioral Novelty

The purpose of the study is to test whether changes in behavioral patterns are related to changes in depression. Depression is a psychological condition that involves persistent sad mood and/or an inability to enjoy pleasurable activities. Very stable behavioral patterns may be related to symptoms of depression. The aim of this study is to learn more about the relationship between symptoms of depression and behavioral patterns that are collected via global positioning system location data from a smart phone.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Depression Behavior Behavioral Symptoms

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Texas at Austin Institute of Mental Health Research

Austin, Texas, 78712, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18-25
  • Possession and daily use of a smart phone
  • Able to speak and read English
  • Patient Health Questionnaire -8 (PHQ-8) > 10
  • Behavioral Activation for Depression (BADS) Activation Subscale < 16
  • Ability to complete all study procedures

Exclusion criteria

  • Self-reported lifetime diagnosis of agoraphobia or bipolar disorder
  • Severe neurodevelopmental disorder
  • Major travel plans within study period

Treatment and study plan

Brief modified behavioral activation

Behavioral

The clinician will deliver psychoeducation about the nature of depression and the rationale behind the behavioral activation model (i.e. increasing level of activation can begin a positive feedback cycle of reward and improvements in mood state). Participants will be encouraged to add new, enjoyable activities to their daily schedules. Clinicians will emphasize the importance of novelty and increased engagement with the surrounding environment in the psychoeducational portion and in activity scheduling.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Patient Health Questionnaire-8 Total Score over 5 Weeks

    Time frame: Baseline and 5 weeks

    Level of depression symptoms assessed weekly by the Patient Health Questionnaire - 8 via smart phone survey. The PHQ-8 ranges from 0-24 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of depression.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale over 5 Weeks

    Time frame: Baseline and 5 weeks

    Level of behavioral activation as measured by the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS). The BADS ranges from 0-150 with higher scores indicating better functioning.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Texas at Austin

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Depression, Experiential Diversity, and Behavioral Novelty: A Mobile Sensing Experimental Paradigm

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Mar 14, 2023
Registry last updated
Aug 12, 2024

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.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.