Mobile Notification for Depression

((IHS 2025) Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Michigan

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 tests a smartphone-based program aimed at improving mood, physical activity, and sleep in medical interns. Smart notifications deliver tailored messages to help interns manage their mental and physical well-being. Participants may receive various messages, such as motivational tips or mindfulness prompts, based on personal data. This trial suits medical interns with a smartphone who have completed a specific survey. As an unphased trial, it provides a unique opportunity for interns to enhance their well-being through personalized digital support.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to ask the trial organizers for more details.

What prior data suggests that this mobile health intervention is safe for medical interns?

Research shows that mobile notifications can safely help medical interns improve mood, physical activity, and sleep. Studies have found these notifications easy to manage. They support interns during stressful times by sending messages that boost mood and encourage healthy habits.

No reports of serious side effects have emerged from using these mobile notifications. Tailored to each person's mood, sleep, and activity levels, this personalized approach enhances effectiveness without causing harm. Overall, previous studies have found these notifications safe, with no major risks identified. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Mobile Notification for Depression treatment because it uses cutting-edge technology to deliver personalized mental health support directly to users' smartphones. Unlike traditional treatments for depression, which often involve medication or in-person therapy sessions, this approach leverages a reinforcement learning algorithm to tailor daily notifications based on mood, activity, or sleep data. The notifications incorporate various therapeutic strategies like mindfulness and motivational interviewing, providing a unique, data-driven approach that adapts to the individual's needs. This innovative method aims to offer timely and relevant support, potentially improving adherence and outcomes compared to standard care options.

What evidence suggests that this mobile notification intervention is effective for improving mood, physical activity, and sleep in medical interns?

Research has shown that mobile health tools, such as those in the Intern Health Study, can improve the mental health of medical interns. In this trial, participants receive personalized notifications about their mood, activity, and sleep through a smart system. Previous studies have indicated that participants who received such notifications reported feeling better and being more active. Early results suggest that these tailored messages help interns manage stress and enhance their overall well-being. This method uses real-time information, offering a promising way to support mental health in challenging work settings. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for medical interns in the 2025-2026 year who use an iPhone or Android phone and have completed a consent and baseline survey by June 20 before their intern year starts. There are no specific exclusion criteria.

Inclusion Criteria

Medical intern during the 2025-2026 internship year

iPhone or Android phone user

Completed the Intern Health Study consent and baseline survey by June 20 prior to the start of intern year

Exclusion Criteria

Not applicable.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive mobile health intervention messages determined by a reinforcement learning algorithm to improve mood, physical activity, and sleep.

1 year

Daily notifications via smartphone

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Intern Health Study behavioral change mobile notification

Trial Overview The study tests if a mobile app that sends notifications, using an algorithm to personalize messages, can improve mood, increase physical activity, and enhance sleep quality among medical interns.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Within-participant micro-randomization Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Each week a policy outcome is chosen at random with ⅓ mood, ⅓ activity, ⅓ sleep - this determines which category of message a participant will receive. Each day in the study, a reinforcement learning algorithm will determine 1) if a participant will receive a notification that day or no notification that day, 2) the therapeutic strategy employed by the notification (Behavioral Strategy, Cognitive Strategy, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Distanced Self-Talk), and 3) if personalized data feedback will be included. If assigned to receive a notification, 1 core message set that meets the above criteria will be randomly selected from a pool of 358 core message sets. Each core message set will be comprised of 4 messages containing comparable content, however they will be tailored based on the participant's wearable (steps, sleep) or mood data for the specified time interval (7 days, 30 days, since the start of internship) as follows: 1) no data, 2) low, 3) moderate, or 4) high.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Michigan

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,891

Recruited

6,458,000+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06465680

Study Details | NCT06465680 | Intern Health Study 2024 The goal of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile health intervention intending to help improve the mental health of medical interns. The ...

2. openicpsr.org openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/129225/version/V2/view

Intern Health Study The Intern Health Study is an NIH-funded longitudinal cohort study that assesses stress and mood in medical interns at institutions around the US.

3. internhealthstudy.org internhealthstudy.org/

Intern Health Study DAILY MOOD: Participants will receive notifications on their mobile device prompting them to rate their daily mood on a scale of 1 to 10. ​. FITNESS TRACKER (US ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7157494/

Assessing Real-Time Moderation for Developing Adaptive ... This study aimed to investigate when to provide mHealth interventions to individuals in stressful work environments to improve their behavior and mental health.

5. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-physical-activities-3-2025-1f4eb

Mobile Notification for Depression ((IHS 2025) Trial) Participants receive mobile health intervention messages determined by a reinforcement learning algorithm to improve mood, physical activity, and sleep. 1 year.

6. internhealthstudy.org internhealthstudy.org/us-consent

US | intern-health-app Additionally, throughout the year you may receive periodic pop-up notifications which contain personalized feedback based on your mood, sleep, and step data, or ...

7. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-physical-activities-6-2024-dd989

Mobile App Notifications for Intern Health (IHS Trial) Trial Overview The study tests whether receiving behavioral change notifications on a smartphone can improve mood, increase physical activity, and enhance sleep ...