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National Institutes of Health

Clinical Trials

Depression

Featured Studies

Featured studies include only those currently recruiting participants. They are listed according to the date they were added to the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, with the most recent studies appearing first.

  • Depression Outcomes Study of Exercise.
    Interventional study. This pilot study may yield important research findings on how to adapt exercise treatment for depression among adolescents. Ages 12-17. Location in Golden, CO.
  • AZD2327 to Treat Anxious Major Depression.
    Interventional study. This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of an experimental drug called AZD2327 for treating anxious major depressive disorder. Ages 18-65. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Depression Prevention for Pregnant Women on Public Assistance.
    Interventional study. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an interpersonal therapy treatment called the Postpartum Prevention Program in preventing the development of postpartum depression in pregnant women who are financially disadvantaged. Ages 18-40. Locations in Providence, RI; Woonsocket, RI; Pawtucket, RI.
  • Evaluating the Effects of Stress in Pregnancy.
    Evaluation study. This study will evaluate pregnant women with a past or current diagnosis of depression or anxiety to gain a better understanding of how these disorders can affect an infant's development, both during and after pregnancy. Ages 18-45. Location in Atlanta, GA.
  • Identifying Factors That Predict Antidepressant Treatment Response.
    Interventional study. This study will compare different treatments for depression in order to identify which factors predict effectiveness, and will include a companion study which investigates combining treatments and long term effectiveness. Ages 18-65. Location in Atlanta, GA.
  • Group Intervention for Interpersonal Trauma.
    Interventional study. This study will assess the acceptability and effectiveness of a six-session, modular, repeating group for low-income women who have symptoms of depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder following interpersonal trauma exposure. Ages 18-70. Location in Washington, DC.
  • Identification and Therapy of Postpartum Depression.
    Interventional study. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone-based depression screening and care management program in treating depression in postpartum women. Ages 18 and over. Location in Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Bipolar II Depression: Lithium, SSRI, or the Combination.
    Interventional study. This study will compare the safety and effectiveness of a mood stabilizing medication, an antidepressant medication, and a combination of both medications to treat symptoms of bipolar type II depression. Ages 18-65. Locations in Los Angeles, CA; Palo Alto, CA; Mason, OH.
  • Genetics of Recurrent Early Onset Major Depression.
    Evaluation study. This study will identify specific genes that may cause a predisposition to depression in some families. Ages 21-70. Locations in Palo Alto, CA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Iowa City, IA; Baltimore, MD; New York, NY.
  • Effect of Family-Based Prevention on Children of Depressed Parents.
    Interventional study. This study will test the Protecting Families Program, a 10-week prevention program for depressed parents and their pre-teenage children, by comparing the effectiveness of the program versus parent training alone. Ages 9 and over. Location in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Dopamine Receptor Imaging in Mood Disorders.
    Evaluation study. This study seeks to increase the understanding of dopamine receptor function in the brain during major depressive disorder and bipolar depression, as well as genetic changes that may be behind changes in those receptors' actions. Ages 18-55. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Hormonal Causes of Menstrual-Related Mood Disorders.
    Evaluation study. This study will explore possible hormonal causes of menstrual-related mood disorders (MRMD) by stopping the menstrual cycle with a drug called Lupron and then giving in sequence two menstrual cycle hormones, progesterone and estrogen. Ages 18-45. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Lexapro and Pramipexole and to Treat Major Depression.
    Interventional study. This study compares the effectiveness of the combination of antidepressants: Lexapro and Pramipexole, with the effectiveness of each antidepressant alone. Ages 18-65. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Function of Catecholamines in the Brain During Depression.
    Evaluation study. This study will explore brain function related to depressive symptoms and will examine DNA for genes that may be involved in depressive disorders, particularly genes that regulate synthesis and metabolism of the brain neurotransmitter catecholamine. Ages 18-45. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Brain Regulation of Emotions in People With Depression and Anhedonia.
    Evaluation study. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine how the brain regulates emotions in healthy people and in patients who have major depression and anhedonia (loss of feeling of pleasure in things that normally give pleasure). Ages 18-50. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Brain Imaging in Depression.
    Evaluation study. The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to examine the role of certain brain receptors and the nervous system chemical acetylcholine in major depression. Ages 18-45. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Brain Function in Mentally Ill Adolescents.
    Evaluation study. The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to examine the brain activity of adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD) before and after treatment. Ages 7-18. Locations in Newark, DE; Bethesda, MD.
  • A Treatment Study for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).
    Interventional study. This study examines the effects of estrogen and progesterone on mood, the stress response, and brain function and behavior in women with premenstrual syndrome. Ages 20-45. Location in Bethesda, MD.
  • Brain Tissue Collection for Neuropathological Studies.
    Evaluation study. The purpose of this study is to collect and study the brain tissue of deceased individuals to learn more about the nervous system and mental disorders. Locations in Washington, DC; Bethesda, MD; Fairfax, VA.
  • Evaluation of the Genetics of Bipolar Disorder.
    Evaluation study. This study looks to identify genes that may affect a person's chances of developing bipolar disorder (BP) and related conditions. Ages 18 and over. Locations in Orange, CA; La Jolla, CA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Iowa City, IA; Louisville, KY; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; St. Louis, MO; Stonybrook, NY; Philadelphia, PA.

Search ClinicalTrials.gov for other NIH studies on Depression.