Depression/AnxietyNCT06887569
Using Financial Incentives and Screening to Increase Engagement With Mental Health Services Among College Students in Chennai, India
A study testing Rewards and Screening in people with Depression/Anxiety, run by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 1 site in India.
Trial summary
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to increase engagement with mental health services among a sample of college students in Chennai, India. The study is being conducted in partnership with an arts and science college for women in Chennai. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Depression/Anxiety
- What is being tested?
- Rewards and Screening
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 340 participants
- Where
- 1 siteIndia
- Study dates
- 20 Jan 2025to 25 May 2025
- 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 to 30 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- aged 18-30
- are present in the classrooms,
- consent to participate in the study
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to increase engagement with mental health services among a sample of college students in Chennai, India. The study is being conducted in partnership with an arts and science college for women in Chennai. The sample will be recruited within classrooms, during college hours. All students present in the classroom per the allotted time will be introduced to the study. The research team will obtain consent from those interested after screening them for age eligibility (between the ages of 18 and 30 years). Study participants will then complete a baseline survey including questions around demographics, perceptions of their own mental health, mental health treatment history, and the PHQ-ADS, a standardized composite screening tool for depression and anxiety. The experimental design is an RCT with 4 groups, randomized at the individual level: (1) a control group, which will watch a video with information about mental health and be able to access therapy in college and at SCARF, a mental health center in Chennai, at no cost for the duration of the study; (2) a screening group, in which, in addition to the interventions in the control group, students will be informed whether their responses to the PHQ-ADS questions fit in the standard risk categories of no, mild, moderate, or severe distress and corresponding recommendations for whether to make an appointment with a counselor/therapist; (3) a rewards group, in which, in addition to the interventions in the control group, students will be provided with a cash payment for attending their first therapy session; and (4) a combined screening and rewards group. The investigators will measure interest in, and take-up of, therapy at the individual level.
- Conditions
- Depression/Anxiety
- Being tested
- Rewards, Screening
- Medical subject headings
- Depression, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
RewardsBehavioural
Financial rewards for attending therapy
ScreeningBehavioural
Information about screening for depression and anxiety
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy |
| Screening | Experimental | Information about screening for depression and anxiety. Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy Receives: Behavioral: Screening |
| Rewards | Experimental | Financial rewards for attending therapy. Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy Receives: Behavioral: Rewards |
| Screening + Rewards | Experimental | Information about screening for depression and anxiety, and financial rewards for attending therapy (combination of previous two treatments). Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy Receives: Behavioral: Rewards; Behavioral: Screening |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Proportion of participants expressing interest in therapy
Student stating interest in the participant survey in booking an appointment with a study counselor, or asking to be contacted by a study counselor to discuss mental health and therapy
Measured: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Proportion of participants making an appointment
student completing the process to make an appointment for therapy with a study counselor, through the participant survey or otherwise
Measured: From enrolment until two months after enrolment
Secondary outcomes (3)
Proportion of participants taking-up of a mental health care app
This is measured in two ways: participants expressing interest in accessing a mental-healthcare app in the survey, and participants actually clicking a link to download the app.
Measured: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Proportion of participants demanding for information about mental health
This is measured in two ways: participants expressing interest in receiving more information about mental health, and participants actually clicking a link to access the information
Measured: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Proportion of participants attending therapy sessions
Data will be collected from the administrative records of the counselling office on whether participants actually attended a therapy session, as well as the number of sessions attended.
Measured: From enrolment until two months after enrolment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Mar 2025
- Study start20 Jan 2025
- Primary completion25 May 2025
- Study completion25 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Depression/AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 340 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Institute for Financial Management and Research, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India), Chennai, India
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06887569
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2206000666
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual-level data will be posted online
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Using Financial Incentives and Screening to Increase Engagement With Mental Health Services Among College Students in Chennai, India
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06887569
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2206000666
- Conditions
- Depression/Anxiety
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 340 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Institute for Financial Management and Research, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India), Chennai, India
- Study start
- 20 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Mar 2025 (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.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to increase engagement with mental health services among a sample of college students in Chennai, India. The study is being conducted in partnership with an arts and science college for women in Chennai. The sample will be recruited within classrooms, during college hours. All students present in the classroom per the allotted time will be introduced to the study. The research team will obtain consent from those interested after screening them for age eligibility (between the ages of 18 and 30 years). Study participants will then complete a baseline survey including questions around demographics, perceptions of their own mental health, mental health treatment history, and the PHQ-ADS, a standardized composite screening tool for depression and anxiety. The experimental design is an RCT with 4 groups, randomized at the individual level: (1) a control group, which will watch a video with information about mental health and be able to access therapy in college and at SCARF, a mental health center in Chennai, at no cost for the duration of the study; (2) a screening group, in which, in addition to the interventions in the control group, students will be informed whether their responses to the PHQ-ADS questions fit in the standard risk categories of no, mild, moderate, or severe distress and corresponding recommendations for whether to make an appointment with a counselor/therapist; (3) a rewards group, in which, in addition to the interventions in the control group, students will be provided with a cash payment for attending their first therapy session; and (4) a combined screening and rewards group. The investigators will measure interest in, and take-up of, therapy at the individual level.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | –Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy |
| Screening | Experimental | Behavioral: ScreeningInformation about screening for depression and anxiety. Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy |
| Rewards | Experimental | Behavioral: RewardsFinancial rewards for attending therapy. Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy |
| Screening + Rewards | Experimental | Behavioral: Rewards, Behavioral: ScreeningInformation about screening for depression and anxiety, and financial rewards for attending therapy (combination of previous two treatments). Information about mental health and therapy and free access to therapy |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- aged 18-30
- are present in the classrooms,
- consent to participate in the study
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| RewardsFinancial rewards for attending therapy | Behavioural | Rewards, Screening + Rewards |
| ScreeningInformation about screening for depression and anxiety | Behavioural | Screening, Screening + Rewards |
Primary outcome
Proportion of participants expressing interest in therapy
Time frame: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Student stating interest in the participant survey in booking an appointment with a study counselor, or asking to be contacted by a study counselor to discuss mental health and therapy
Proportion of participants making an appointment
Time frame: From enrolment until two months after enrolment
student completing the process to make an appointment for therapy with a study counselor, through the participant survey or otherwise
3 secondary outcomes
Proportion of participants taking-up of a mental health care app
Time frame: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Proportion of participants demanding for information about mental health
Time frame: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)
Proportion of participants attending therapy sessions
Time frame: From enrolment until two months after enrolment
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Sep 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual-level data will be posted online
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Rewards and Screening in people with Depression/Anxiety, run by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 1 site in India.
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 0 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Sep 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 India. 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 is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
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?
Proportion of participants expressing interest in therapy (time frame: Immediately after treatment (Day 1)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 25 Sep 2025.