Stress Management for Depression

Overseen By Adam Horwitz, Ph.D.

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Michigan

Disqualifiers: Under 17, Receiving mental health care

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized feedback approach in helping college students manage stress and address mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. The study involves two groups: one receives weekly surveys, while the other also receives supportive text messages and personalized feedback (PF) reports. The trial seeks first-year college students at the University of Michigan who experience mild-to-moderate depression but are not in therapy. The goal is to determine if these methods can help students recognize and handle stress before it leads to bigger problems. As an unphased trial, this study offers students a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative mental health solutions.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, you must not be receiving professional mental health services to participate.

What prior data suggests that this stress management method is safe for college students?

Research has shown that personalized feedback (PF) reports are safe for individuals undergoing depression screenings. One study found that providing feedback after online depression screenings did not lead to issues such as incorrect diagnoses or treatments, indicating that the feedback is generally well-accepted.

Additionally, studies on supportive text messages have demonstrated their safety and appreciation. Most participants reported feeling more hopeful about managing their mental health after receiving these messages. Text messages are easy to use and positively impact feelings of depression and anxiety.

In summary, previous research has shown that both personalized feedback reports and supportive text messages are safe and well-accepted. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores a new way to manage depression through stress management techniques. Unlike traditional treatments like antidepressants and therapy, this approach uses personalized feedback reports and text messages to provide support and insights tailored to each individual. This method allows for real-time interaction and customization, potentially making it more engaging and effective for users. By delivering interventions through digital means, it offers a more flexible and accessible option for managing depression, especially for those who may not have easy access to in-person therapy.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for managing stress and depression?

Research has shown that personalized feedback reports, which participants in this trial may receive, can improve mental health. One study found that digital personalized feedback, offering advice based on individual experiences, reduced symptoms. Another study demonstrated that online stress management programs with personalized feedback had effects similar to direct treatments for depression.

For supportive text messages, another component of this trial, the evidence is mixed. Some studies indicate that daily supportive texts can significantly reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. For instance, one trial found a 25% improvement in mood with regular supportive texts. However, results can vary, meaning they might work well for some but not for everyone. ^{2 4 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Adam Horwitz, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Michigan

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for first-year college students at the University of Michigan, either Ann Arbor or Flint campuses. It's aimed at those who have mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms but are not currently receiving professional mental health services.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a first-year student at the University of Michigan, either full-time or part-time.

I have mild to moderate depression and am not seeing a mental health professional.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive surveys, text messages, and feedback reports

6 weeks

Weekly surveys

Assessment Only

Participants complete weekly surveys without additional interventions

6 weeks

Weekly surveys

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for satisfaction with the intervention components

6 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Personalized Feedback (PF) Report
• Supportive Text messages

Trial Overview The study is testing how surveys, personalized feedback reports, and supportive text messages can help students manage stress. Participants will be randomly placed into an 'assessment only' group or an 'intervention' group that receives these tools.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention - surveys, text messages, and feedback reports Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants in the intervention arm will be randomized to receive (or not receive) text messages in a given week, with a daily randomization to receive (or not receive) a text message if randomized to receive text messages that week. Additionally, participants will be randomized each week to receive (or not receive) personalized feedback reports.

Group II: Assessment Only Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Weekly surveys only.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Michigan

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,891

Recruited

6,458,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Citations

1. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178122004723

Effect of brief, personalized feedback derived from ... This study aimed to determine the efficacy of digitalized personalized feedback derived from experience sampling method (ESM) data for improving women's mental ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10546313/

Protocol for randomized personalized trial for stress ... The aim of this study is to determine if a personalized trial design will improve stress over standard practice for stress management among 212 ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10897957/

Are web-based stress management interventions effective ... Our results indicate that web-based stress management can serve as an indirect treatment, yielding effects comparable with direct interventions for depression.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000578942100126X

Engagement With Personalized Feedback for Emotional ... Personalized feedback (PF) interventions deliver objective data, often electronically, comparing an individual's reported symptoms or behaviors to a group norm.

5. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23326-1

Data-based Decision Rules to Personalize Depression ... This paper establishes a rule-based method to identify a set of risk predictive patterns from person-level longitudinal disease measurements.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12079080/

Potential Harms of Feedback After Web-Based Depression ... The results indicate that feedback after web-based depression screening is not associated with negative effects such as misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and ...

7. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35227410/

Engagement With Personalized Feedback for Emotional ... Personalized feedback (PF) interventions deliver objective data, often electronically, comparing an individual's reported symptoms or behaviors to a group norm.