Major Depressive DisorderNCT03769350
Waitlist-Control Trial of Smartphone CBT for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Withdrawn
A study testing Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators are testing the efficacy of Smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving app-CBT will have greater improvement in QIDS-C scores than those in the waitlist condition at treatment… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Major Depressive Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2019to 1 Jun 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- At least 18 years of age
- Current diagnosis of primary DSM-5 MDD, based on MINI
- Currently living in the United States
Who cannot join
- Psychotropic medication changes within 2 months prior to enrollment (Participants taking psychotropic medication must have been on a stable dose for at least 2 months prior to enrollment and not change medication during study period)
- Past participation in ≥ 4 sessions of CBT for depression
- Current severe substance use disorder
- Lifetime bipolar disorder or psychosis
- Acute, active suicidal ideation as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a score ≥ 2 on the suicidal ideation subscale of the C-SSRS
- Concurrent psychological treatment
- Does not own a supported mobile Smartphone with a data plan
- Lack of technology literacy that would interfere with ability to engage with smartphone treatment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
About this study
Official title: Smartphone Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Waitlist-control Trial
The investigators are testing the efficacy of Smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving app-CBT will have greater improvement in QIDS-C scores than those in the waitlist condition at treatment endpoint (week 8).
Read the detailed description
The primary aims of this study are to test the efficacy of a Smartphone-based CBT treatment for adults with MDD recruited nationally. Eligible subjects (N=112) will be randomly assigned to 8 weeks of Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD either immediately, or after a 8-week long waiting period (50-50 chance). The investigators hypothesize that Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD will be feasible and acceptable to individuals with MDD, and that it will lead to greater reductions in MDD symptom severity compared to the passage of time (waitlist control).
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Being tested
- Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD
- Medical subject headings
- Depressive Disorder, Major
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDDDevice
8-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD. In-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for MDD. The app-delivered CBT in this project includes modules such as cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, core belief work), behavioral activation, and perceptual retraining/mindfulness skills.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD | Experimental | 8-week Smartphone delivered CBT for MDD. Receives: Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD |
| 8 Week Waitlist Control | Other | 8-week waitlist control. (Note: participants will be crossed over to 8-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD following the 8-week waitlist control). Receives: Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Difference in MDD severity (QIDS-C) at the end of treatment/waitlist period.
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology- Clinician version (QIDS-C) is a clinician-administered interview that assesses depressive symptom severity in the past seven days. It contains 16 items ranging from 0-3, which are summed to generate a total score of depressive symptom severity (range=0-27).
Measured: Endpoint (week 8)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Difference in functional impairment at the end of treatment/waitlist period
Participants who receive app-CBT will have greater improvement on functional impairment (SDS). The SDS uses a Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (extremely) to assess impairment in occupational, social, and family domains. Higher scores indicate greater impairment.
Measured: Endpoint (week 8)
Difference in quality of life at the end of treatment/waitlist period
Participants who receive app-CBT will have greater improvement on quality of life, assessed using The Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form (Q-LES-Q). The Q-LES-Q-SF is a self-report measure of subjective quality of life, containing Likert items ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 5 (Very Good). Total scores are presented as a percentage of the maximum value (i.e., ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater quality of life).
Measured: Endpoint (week 8)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Dec 2018
- Study start1 Jul 2019 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Jun 2022 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jun 2022 (estimated)
Why it stopped: Study must be registered under the sponsor instead of the site, so we have created a new posting in the sponsor's account.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Major Depressive DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Telefónica S.A.
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03769350
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2018P001670-A
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Dec 2018
- Last updated
- 4 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Smartphone Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Waitlist-control Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03769350
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2018P001670-A
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: Study must be registered under the sponsor instead of the site, so we have created a new posting in the sponsor's account.
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Telefónica S.A.
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2019 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2022 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2022 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Dec 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators are testing the efficacy of Smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving app-CBT will have greater improvement in QIDS-C scores than those in the waitlist condition at treatment endpoint (week 8).
Detailed description
The primary aims of this study are to test the efficacy of a Smartphone-based CBT treatment for adults with MDD recruited nationally. Eligible subjects (N=112) will be randomly assigned to 8 weeks of Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD either immediately, or after a 8-week long waiting period (50-50 chance). The investigators hypothesize that Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD will be feasible and acceptable to individuals with MDD, and that it will lead to greater reductions in MDD symptom severity compared to the passage of time (waitlist control).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD | Experimental | Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD8-week Smartphone delivered CBT for MDD. |
| 8 Week Waitlist Control | Other | Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD8-week waitlist control. (Note: participants will be crossed over to 8-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD following the 8-week waitlist control). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- At least 18 years of age
- Current diagnosis of primary DSM-5 MDD, based on MINI
- Currently living in the United States
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Psychotropic medication changes within 2 months prior to enrollment (Participants taking psychotropic medication must have been on a stable dose for at least 2 months prior to enrollment and not change medication during study period)
- Past participation in ≥ 4 sessions of CBT for depression
- Current severe substance use disorder
- Lifetime bipolar disorder or psychosis
- Acute, active suicidal ideation as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a score ≥ 2 on the suicidal ideation subscale of the C-SSRS
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD8-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD. In-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for MDD. The app-delivered CBT in this project includes modules such as cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, core belief work), behavioral activation, and perceptual retraining/mindfulness skills. | Device | 8 Week Waitlist Control, Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD |
Primary outcome
Difference in MDD severity (QIDS-C) at the end of treatment/waitlist period.
Time frame: Endpoint (week 8)
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology- Clinician version (QIDS-C) is a clinician-administered interview that assesses depressive symptom severity in the past seven days. It contains 16 items ranging from 0-3, which are summed to generate a total score of depressive symptom severity (range=0-27).
2 secondary outcomes
Difference in functional impairment at the end of treatment/waitlist period
Time frame: Endpoint (week 8)
Difference in quality of life at the end of treatment/waitlist period
Time frame: Endpoint (week 8)
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Jun 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sabine Wilhelm, PhD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Smartphone-delivered CBT for MDD in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Difference in MDD severity (QIDS-C) at the end of treatment/waitlist period. (time frame: Endpoint (week 8)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Jun 2025.