Actively Recruiting
Neuroscience of Psychotherapy for Depression
Led by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · Updated on 2025-12-18
45
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
63 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead Sponsor
F
Foundation of Hope, North Carolina
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The goal of this study is to learn the extent to which client-therapist brain activity may synchronize during a psychosocial intervention for depression symptoms. The study will compare behavioral activation, a client-centered type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, to psychoeducation which delivers information on strategies to recover from depression symptoms. Participants will answer questions about their mental and physical health, attend one psychosocial intervention session receiving either Behavioral Activation or Psychoeducation with simultaneous brain activity measurement and complete follow up surveys two weeks and one month following the intervention.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Neuroscience of Psychotherapy for Depression
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Between ages 18 and 30
- Full-time student status (undergraduate, graduate, and professional)
- Experience mild to moderate depressive symptoms as determined by the Beck Depression Inventory (score: 14-28)
- Capacity to understand study procedures (informed consent)
- Ability to speak and understand English
- Willingness to comply with study procedures
- Therapists must be 18 or older
- Therapists must be qualified to administer therapy (as decided by the Principal Investigator)
- Therapists must understand study procedures (informed consent)
- Therapists must speak and understand English
- Therapists must be willing to comply with study procedures
You will not qualify if you...
- Active, current suicidal ideation as determined by the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the past month
- Past suicidal attempt (lifetime)
- Recently initiated psychotherapy (past month)
- Elevated psychosis risk based on self-report or diagnosis
- Positive screen for autism spectrum disorder or diagnosis
- Daily intake of benzodiazepine over 20 mg diazepam milligram equivalent
- Inability to give informed, voluntary, written consent
- Inability to effectively communicate in English
- Any condition judged by the study team to prevent successful completion of study requirements
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Carolina Center for Neurostimulation
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27516
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
F
Flavio Frohlich
CONTACT
Z
Zachary Stewart
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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