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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05276479

Dietary Plant Hormone and Mental Health

The aim of this cross-sectional online study is to investigate the association between regular feeding behavior and stress, sleep as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms in healthy subjects.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern

Bern, 3000, Switzerland

About this study

The gut-microbiota-brain (GMB) axis has a multidirectional communication between the intestine, the microbiota, and the central nervous system (CNS). Over the past decade, there has been extensive research showing that the GMB axis has a profound influence not only on neurological disorders but also on neural development, activation of the neuroendocrine axis and neurotransmission, as well as modulation of complex human behaviors. Thus, the GBM-axis is involved in the regulation of stress, emotions, behaviour, and higher cognitive functions. As the GMB plays an essential role in human psychological functioning and mental health, the dietary manipulation of the microbiome may have direct effects on mental well-being, sleep, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18 to 30

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Anonymous online survey on dietary habits and mental health

Other

Assessment of regular feeding behavior and mental health

Primary outcomes

  1. Mental well-being and quality of life

    Time frame: At baseline

    Subjective life-quality will be measured with the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF,). The WHOQOL-BREF is a self-administered questionnaire comprising 26 questions on the individual's perceptions of their health and well-being over the previous two weeks. Responses to questions are on a 1-5 Likert scale where 1 represents "disagree" or "not at all" and 5 represents "completely agree" or "extremely". For the present study only the three subscales (physical and psychological health, and social relationships) will be assessed.

  2. General Psychopathology

    Time frame: At baseline

    Brief Symptom Checklist (BSCL former BSI), including various subscales such as depression, anxiety

  3. Sleep

    Time frame: At baseline

    Sleep quality is assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Each of the sleep components yields a score ranging from 0 to 3, with 3 indicating the greatest dysfunction. The sleep component scores are summed to yield a total score ranging from 0 to 21 with the higher total score (referred to as global score) indicating worse sleep quality.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Stress and Coping

    Time frame: At baseline

    Stress will be assessed with the Stress and Coping Inventory (SCI).The SCI is used to determine the current stress load and stress symptoms and to illustrate how to deal with stress using five coping strategies. It comprises 10 scales with 54 items: (A) Current stress load (1) Stress due to uncertainty, (2) Stress due to overload, (3) Stress due to loss and actual negative events, (4) Total stress: Total stress due to insecurity, threat, overload or loss in important areas of life, (5) Physical and psychological stress symptoms; (B) Stress coping (Coping) (1) Positive thinking, (2) Active stress coping, (3) Social support, (4) Keeping faith, (5) Increased alcohol and cigarette consumption.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Bern

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Association Between Dietary Plant Hormone Intake and Mental Health

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Mar 11, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 24, 2025

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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