Single-Session Interventions for Depression

Overseen By Benjamin T Kaveladze, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northwestern University

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Non-English speakers, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

7500 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment 5 Habits to Beat Depression?

Research shows that mindfulness-based interventions, which are part of the 5 Habits to Beat Depression, can reduce symptoms of depression. Additionally, web-based acceptance and commitment therapy, which shares similarities with some components of this treatment, has been found effective for depressive symptoms. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Single-Session Intervention for Depression safe for humans?

The research articles do not provide specific safety data for the Single-Session Interventions for Depression, but they do suggest that similar interventions, like mindfulness and behavioral activation, are generally well-received and show positive outcomes without reported safety concerns. ^{1 3 4 6 7}

How does the '5 Habits to Beat Depression' treatment differ from other treatments for depression?

The '5 Habits to Beat Depression' treatment is unique because it combines various single-session interventions, such as mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive writing, into a flexible, personalized approach. This treatment is novel in its use of AI-supported expressive writing and a personalized intervention recommender, which tailors the therapy to individual needs, potentially enhancing engagement and effectiveness compared to traditional therapies. ^{1 2 3 8 9}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This project aims to learn if new kinds of digital single-session interventions (SSIs) for depression could be effective for American adults. Many existing SSIs are delivered in a simple text-based format. However, it might be that different kinds of SSIs (in terms of both content and style) also have potential for scalable impact. Specifically, this study will investigate the effectiveness of 11 innovative SSIs by comparing them to a passive control and to an existing SSI with established efficacy.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for American adults who can access the internet to complete sessions over four weeks, read and write English fluently, have moderate depression (scoring at least 10 on the PHQ-9), pass attention checks, and are at least 18 years old. Those not participating seriously will be excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

I can access the internet to complete 3 sessions in 4 weeks.

I passed the attention and bot checks in the survey.

I can read and write English fluently.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in a single-session intervention (SSI) to address depression, which includes various digital formats such as videos, interactive exercises, and audio programs.

Immediate post-intervention

1 session (digital)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in depression symptoms and other psychological measures at week 4.

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• 5 Habits to Beat Depression
• All about Trout
• Behavioral Activation (Action Brings Change Project 10-Minute Version)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills
• Expressive Writing (AI-supported)
• Inner Child Healing Walk
• Interactive Cognitive Reappraisal
• Mindful Acceptance
• Mindful Attention Skills
• Moral Elevation
• Personalized Intervention Recommender
• Reframing Negative Thoughts
• Savoring Strategies

Trial Overview The study tests if new digital single-session interventions (SSIs) for depression are effective. It compares 11 innovative SSIs with different content and styles against a passive control group and an established SSI in terms of their ability to alleviate symptoms of depression.

Participant Groups

Group I: SSI 9: Personalized Intervention Recommender Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Identifies the kinds of depression one struggles most with and offers a personalized recommendation for future depression support options.

Group II: SSI 8: Savoring Strategies Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An SSI introducing savoring strategies to improve mood.

Group III: SSI 7: Inner Child Healing Walk Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An interactive journey to reconnect and heal one's inner child through breathing exercises, positive affirmations, and supportive animal companions.

Group IV: SSI 6: Expressive Writing (AI-supported) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants describe a persistent negative thought they struggle with and a large language model system helps them to consider a story in which someone learns to overcome that thought.

Group V: SSI 5: Interactive Cognitive Reappraisal Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An interactive SSI where participants learn how to reframe negative thoughts.

Group VI: SSI 4: 5 Habits to Beat Depression Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

A clinical psychologist and science communicator describes his top 5 one-minute habits to beat depression.

Group VII: SSI 3: Mindful Attention Skills Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

A series of videos teach mindfulness skills: how to release thoughts and re-evaluate.

Group VIII: SSI 2: Moral Elevation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Users learn about moral elevation, then watch a touching video where a man does good deeds for people in his community. Finally, they plan a positive action they can take to help others in their own life.

Group IX: SSI 1: Mindful Acceptance Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

A clinical psychologist explains a few ways to use mindful acceptance to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings.

Group X: SSI 11: Reframing Negative Thoughts Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An audio-only program in which users are guided to reflect on how they might challenge negative automatic thoughts and beliefs they struggle with.

Group XI: SSI 10: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Presents videos from dialectical behavioral therapy on various ways to control negative emotions.

Group XII: Passive control (All About Trout) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The passive control condition aims to hold one's attention for 8-10 minutes without influencing depressive symptoms or mood (a three-minute video, multiple-choice questions, two-minute reading passage, three-minute writing exercise, all about trout).

Group XIII: Behavioral Activation (Action Brings Change Project) Active Control 1 Intervention

A behavioral activation SSI where users learn about negative thought spirals, share advice with an imagined peer, and create an "action plan" of helpful activities to engage in in the future.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northwestern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,674

Recruited

989,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Findings from Research

A study involving 128 participants with major depressive episodes found that a Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)-based internet-delivered behavioral activation intervention significantly reduced clinician-rated depressive symptoms compared to a control group, with a strong effect size at 8 weeks (d = 0.79).

The intervention group also showed improvements in self-rated depressive symptoms, behavioral activation, and various motivational and volitional outcomes, indicating that the HAPA framework effectively enhances treatment for depression.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a Web-Based Behavioral Activation Intervention on Depressive Symptoms, Activation, Motivation, and Volition: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Mueller-Weinitschke, C., Bengel, J., Baumeister, H., et al.[2023]

A web-based behavioral activation intervention called Bounce Back Now (BBN) was developed to help adolescents with depression, showing promising feasibility based on usability evaluations with 24 adolescents and preliminary data from 2,000 disaster-affected youth.

The intervention received positive feedback from users and demonstrated moderate levels of access, suggesting that web-based approaches could effectively improve treatment access for adolescents who might not seek traditional therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility assessment of a brief, web-based behavioral activation intervention for adolescents with depressed mood. Davidson, TM., Yuen, EK., Felton, JW., et al.[2014]

References

1. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomised trial comparing a brief online delivery of mindfulness-plus-values versus values only for symptoms of depression: Does baseline severity matter? [2021]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of fifteen evidence-supported therapies for adult depression: A meta-analytic review. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of a Storytelling Video Self-Help Intervention Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Major Depression: Open Trial Results. [2020]

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a Web-Based Behavioral Activation Intervention on Depressive Symptoms, Activation, Motivation, and Volition: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Web-based acceptance and commitment therapy for depressive symptoms with minimal support: a randomized controlled trial. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The German Version of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS): A Psychometric and Clinical Investigation. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility assessment of a brief, web-based behavioral activation intervention for adolescents with depressed mood. [2014]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of an immersive psychosocial training program on depression and well-being: A randomized clinical trial. [2022]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Positive Psychotherapy for Major Depression. [2022]